Saint Louis de Montfort

Life story

Louis Marie Grignion was born on 31 January 1673 at Montfort-la-Cane in Brittany, now Montfort-sur-Meu, and later took the name of this small town as his surname. He studied at Rennes and then at the seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, and was ordained a priest in 1700. He lived poorly, loved travelling on foot and chose to live among the poor.

After a period as hospital chaplain at Poitiers, where he helped reorganise life for the poor patients and met Marie Louise Trichet, he devoted himself to preaching missions in country villages of western France. He preached in a popular style, taught the people hymns that he composed himself, and encouraged praying the rosary. He came into conflict with some local church interests, and in 1710 a large calvary he had built at Pontchâteau was ordered demolished by the king before it could be blessed.

He laid the foundations of two societies: the Daughters of Wisdom, with Marie Louise Trichet as the first sister, and the Company of Mary, made up of preaching priests, today known as the Montfort Fathers. He also wrote several works, among them the Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, The Love of Eternal Wisdom and The Secret of the Rosary. The manuscript of the first was hidden for many years and was found only in 1842.

He died on 28 April 1716 at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, aged forty-three. He was canonised in 1947 under Pope Pius XII.

Works and witness

• Ordained in 1700 after studies at Saint-Sulpice
• Preached many missions in the countryside of western France
• Founded the Daughters of Wisdom with Marie Louise Trichet
• Founded the Company of Mary (Montfort Fathers)
• Wrote True Devotion to Mary; the manuscript was found in 1842

Saints from the same country

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis de Sales

References

• Martyrologium Romanum
• Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
• Louis de Montfort, Treatise on True Devotion to Mary

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.