Louis Martin, the father of St. Therese of Lisieux, was a prosperous watch maker and jeweler. He and his wife, Zelie, had 10 children but all four boys and one girl died in infancy. All five of the remaining daughters entered the convent, and Therese was the youngest. Because of the holiness of his life and his devotion to God, the canonization process has been started and Louis has been declared a "venerable servant of God", the first milestone in the process toward a formal declaration of sainthood.