Saint Mutien-Marie Wiaux

Life story

Louis-Joseph Wiaux was born on 20 March 1841 at Mellet in Hainaut, Belgium, the third of six children. His father was a blacksmith and his mother ran a small café in part of the family home.

On 7 April 1856 he entered the novitiate at Namur; he received the habit that summer and took the religious name Mutien-Marie. After two years teaching primary classes, he was assigned in 1859 to the boarding school of Saint-Berthuin at Malonne, where he stayed for the rest of his life, fifty-eight years.

At Malonne he taught music and art, served as a prefect in the schoolyard and worked as a catechist in the nearby parish. He died at Malonne on 30 January 1917, aged seventy-five. After his death his reputation spread across Belgium, and many favours were attributed to his intercession. Pope Paul VI beatified him on 30 October 1977 and Pope John Paul II canonized him on 10 December 1989. His relics are venerated at a shrine in Malonne.

Works and witness

• Entered the novitiate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools at Namur on 7 April 1856
• Taught music and art at the boarding school in Malonne from 1859
• Served as schoolyard prefect and parish catechist
• Canonized on 10 December 1989

Saints from the same country

Saint Damien of Molokai, Saint John Berchmans, Saint Christina the Astonishing, Saint Lutgardis

References

• La Salle (lasalle.org), “Saint Mutien-Marie Wiaux” – Lasallian holiness page
• Wikipedia (English), article “Mutien-Marie Wiaux” – family, novitiate and 1859 posting
• De La Salle University–Dasmariñas, Lasallian saints page (dlsud.edu.ph) – seen only as search excerpt

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