Assistant General during the mandate of Brother Charles Raphaël
Brother Martin Esslinger originated from Petit-Landau, Haut-Rhin, France where he was born on the 6th November 1913. In February 1929, he started his Postulancy and his Novitiate in San Maurizio (Italy), where he received the name of Louis Martin. His first vows were pronounced on the 8th September 1930.
After a year of formation at St-Genis-Laval, he assumed numerous responsibilities in various places: Teacher in Zillisheim (1931), La Roche sur Foron (1932), St-Genis-Laval Boarding School (1933); having done his military service at Besançon (1934), he returned to teach at St Genis-Laval until 1939, the year in which he returned to the military at the start of the Second World War.
At the end of August 1940, he worked in the teacher-training centre at Gerson (Lyon) and afterwards was appointed as Director of the St Joseph boarding school at St Genis-Laval in 1941. In 1942, he was moved to the Juniorate at St Quentin-Fallavier where he worked as a teacher and administrator and later as Director. In 1945, he was the Director of the Juniorate at Franois.
After a year of renewal in St Quentin-Fallavier he arrived in St Genis-Laval in 1947 where he was appointed as Director. In 1958 he assumed the responsibility of leading the Province of St Genis-Laval as Provincial.
On the 30th September 1958, he was elected as Assistant General during the XV General Chapter and represented the Provinces of Beaucamps, Hermitage, Saint Genis, Sud Est, Sud Ouest and Varennes-Orient.
In 1967 he participated in the XVI General Chapter during which he was again elected as Assistant General for the Provinces of France. On the 7th May 1971, the General Council accepted his resignation as Assistant and he was replaced by Brother Paul Sester.
At the end of his service to the General Council, he returned to his Province of origin and was assigned to Issenheim in 1971 where he was teacher and Community Superior until his profession jubilee in 1978. After this, he still offered his services, especially in the area of finances, until he retired to St Genis-Laval in 1994. He lived quite peacefully here until his death on the 19th January 2006 at the age of ninety-three and seventy-six years of religious profession.
Brother Superior General and his Council send their heartfelt condolences to the brothers in the community of Montet and all in the Province of L?Hermitage and at the same time invite all the brothers of the Institute to offer the suffrages in accord with article number 55 of our Constitutions in thanksgiving to the Lord for the life of Louis Martin. Rest in peace.