Saint Louis De Montfort, a Frenchman, was born January 31, 1673, and died on April 28, 1716. He was a Catholic priest known for his influence on Catholic Mariology. He wrote many books that went on to become classic Catholic titles, including Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to Mary, and influenced several popes. He also founded several religious communities, including the Company of Mary, and he will likely become a Doctor of the church. Pope Pius XII canonised him on July 20, 1947. A “founder’s statue” created by Giacomo Parisini is located in an upper niche of the south nave of St. Peter’s Basilica. Do you think Saint Louis De Montfort should become a Doctor of the church?
Biography of Saint Louis De Montfort
Saint Louis De Montfort was born in 1673 in Montfort-sur-Meu, in France. When he was 12, he entered the Jesuit College of St Thomas Becket in Rennes, and at the end of his college education, he began his studies of philosophy and theology, still at St Thomas in Rennes. It was there that he developed his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 1693, he went to Paris, and like other saints, he became very ill. Leaving the hospital, Saint Louis De Montfort was surprised to find his place had been kept open for him at the Little Saint-Sulpice, a seminary, which he entered in July 1695. He was appointed the seminary’s librarian, which allowed him to study works on spirituality and the Virgin Mary’s place in the Christian life. This later led to his focus on the Holy Rosary and his famous book, The Secret of the Rosary.
Saint Louis De Montfort was ordained in 1700. In November 1710, he joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic and asked permission not only to preach the Rosary but also to form Rosary confraternities. He wanted to be a missionary, and even went to see Pope Clement XI, who allowed it. For several years, he preached in missions from Brittany to Nantes.
Saint Louis De Montfort left Nantes, and the next several years were very busy for him. He was constantly occupied in preaching missions. Yet he found time also to write his True Devotion to Mary, The Secret of Mary, and The Secret of the Rosary. Montfort’s sixteen years of priesthood include many months of solitude, perhaps as many as a total of four years.
Saint Louis De Montfort was worn out by hard work and sickness, he came in April 1716 to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre to begin the mission, his last. During it, he fell ill and died on April 28th of that year. He was 43 years old. It is important to note that he popularized the Total consecration to Jesus through Mary. In Montfort’s approach to Marian consecration, Jesus and Mary are inseparable.
Works
Saint Louis De Montfort published 18 major works. Here they are:
Preparation for Total Consecration according to Saint Louis de Montfort
Secret of the Rosary
Letters of St. Louis Marie
The Love of Eternal Wisdom
Letter to the Friends of the Cross
The Admirable Secret of the Rosary
Methods for Saying the Rosary
The Secret of Mary
True Devotion to Mary
Prayer for Missionaries
Manuscript Rule of the Company of Mary
Letter to the Members of the Company of Mary
The “Wisdom Cross” of Poitiers
Original Rule of the Daughters of Wisdom
Letter to the Inhabitants of Montbernage
Rules for Various Groups
The Will of St. Louis Marie
Conclusion
Saint Louis De Montfort was an awesome French priest and Saint. He was a prolific writer, poet, and hymnist. He was so prolific that he could become a Doctor of the Catholic church, so readers should become familiar with him. Perhaps reading some of his books would be the right way. The Secrets of the Rosary is famous, and his concept of total consecration to Jesus through Mary is something that all serious Catholics should know.
