Saint Louis de Montfort
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Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, born on January 31, 1673, in Montfort-sur-Meu, Brittany, was a French priest and missionary whose fervent Marian devotion reshaped Catholic spirituality. Ordained in 1700, he preached across western France, founding the Company of Mary and Daughters of Wisdom to spread his “True Devotion to Mary”—a consecration popularized by his book of that name. Facing opposition from Jansenists and frail health, he tirelessly evangelized the poor, often collapsing mid-sermon, until his death on April 28, 1716, at 43 in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre. His writings, lost then rediscovered in 1842, inspired popes and saints, including John Paul II.
Canonized on July 20, 1947, by Pope Pius XII, Louis’s feast day, April 28, celebrates his legacy, with his tomb in the Basilica of Saint Louis de Montfort a pilgrimage hub. Patron of preachers and Marian devotion, his *Treatise on True Devotion* and hymns like “Totus Tuus” echo in Montfortian spirituality, his influence vast despite initial obscurity. Buried where he died, his life of poverty and zeal endures as a call to surrender to Christ through Mary.
Biography
Birth
Saint Louis-Marie was born on January 31, 1673, in Montfort-sur-Meu, Brittany, to Jean-Baptiste Grignion, a notary, and Jeanne Robert, one of 18 children, many dying young. Baptized at birth due to frailty, his Breton roots shaped his faith. Montfort’s rural quiet birthed a fiery soul.
His early piety—kneeling hours in church—hinted at a missionary life amid France’s religious tumult.
Early Life
Louis’s youth unfolded in Brittany; educated by Jesuits in Rennes, he walked to Paris at 19 to study at Saint-Sulpice Seminary, arriving in rags in 1693. Ordained in 1700 after hardships—briefly expelled, then reinstated—he served as a hospital chaplain, his zeal clashing with authorities. By 1706, he began preaching, drawn to the poor.
His early life forged a priest of radical devotion, setting his Marian path. Louis’s formative years were a crucible of sacrifice.
Occupation
Louis’s occupation was as a priest and missionary, ordained in 1700. He roamed Brittany and Vendée, preaching, founding schools, and battling Jansenism—once poisoned for it. In 1712, he formed the Company of Mary; his books—*True Devotion*, *The Secret of the Rosary*—came later, hidden until 1842. He died mid-mission in 1716.
His work was tireless evangelization, ending in collapse. Louis’s occupation was a voice for Mary’s role in salvation.
Vocation
Louis’s vocation emerged at seminary, a call to preach Christ through Mary. Ordained in 1700, he lived poverty, giving all to the needy, his missions reviving faith in war-torn France. His consecration theology—total surrender to Mary—defined his life, penned in exile and toil.
His vocation peaked in Vendée, dying in 1716 with lasting words. Louis’s life was a Marian mission, igniting devotion.
Death
Saint Louis-Marie met his end on April 28, 1716, in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, dying at 43 of illness—possibly pleurisy—after preaching. Exhausted by years of labor, he collapsed mid-sermon, passing days later, buried in the parish church, now a basilica. Crowds mourned, miracles soon claimed.
His death birthed a cult, his tomb a shrine. Louis’s passing closed a life of fervor, his writings his eternal flame.
Significant events
- Ordained priest, June 5, 1700.
- Founded Company of Mary, 1712.
- Died April 28, 1716, writings rediscovered 1842.
Parishes
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Canonization
Servant of God
The process began in 1838 in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, spurred by his rediscovered *True Devotion* and local devotion.
Venerable
Declared Venerable in 1871 by Pope Pius IX, recognizing his heroic virtue after reviewing his life and works.
Beatification
Beatified in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII in Vatican City, after a 1887 healing of a blind girl in France via prayers to Louis, verified by inquiry.
Canonization
Canonized on July 20, 1947, by Pope Pius XII in Vatican City, following a 1946 cure of a man’s tuberculosis after prayers at his tomb, affirming his sanctity.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
In 1887, a French girl, blind from birth, regained sight after a novena to Louis, confirmed inexplicable by doctors. Approved in 1888, it reflected his missionary grace, hastening beatification.
Witnessed by her parish, this miracle spread his fame, a preacher’s intercession.
Miracle for canonization
In 1946, a man in Vendée with terminal tuberculosis recovered after prayers at Louis’s tomb, verified miraculous. Ratified in 1947, it sealed his canonization, echoing his healing call.
This cure affirmed his sainthood, completing his universal veneration.
Other notable miracles
- Posthumous healings at his tomb, per tradition.
Patronage
Saint Louis de Montfort is patron of preachers, devotion to Mary, and Montfortian spirituality.
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort is celebrated on April 28.
Veneration
Saint Louis is venerated through prayers for Marian consecration, centered at his basilica in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where he rests. With rosary or book, his cult thrives globally, his April 28 feast inspiring *Totus Tuus* devotions—John Paul II’s motto. His writings fuel a Marian renewal.
Books
Written about the saint
Written by the saint
- *True Devotion to Mary* (published 1843)
- *The Secret of the Rosary*