|
Feast
Day: April 28
Profile
Born poor.
Studied in Paris for the priesthood;
ordained in 1700.
While a seminarian he delighted in researching the writings of Church
Fathers, Doctors and Saints as they related to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to
whom he was singularly devoted.
Under
Mary's
inspiration, he founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine
Wisdom, a religious institute of women devoted to the care of the
desititute. During this work, he began his apostolate of preaching the
Rosary and authentic Marian devotion. He preached so forcefully and
effectively against the errors of Jansenism that expelled from several
dioceses in France.
In Rome
Pope
Clement
XI conferred on him the title and authority of Missionary Apostolic,
which enabled him to continue his apostolate after returning to France.
He preached Mary
everywhere and to everyone. A member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic,
Saint Louis was one of the greatest apostles of the Rosary in his day, and
by means his miraculously inspiring book, The Secret of the Rosary,
he is still so today; the most common manner of reciting the Rosary is the
method that originated with Saint Louis's preaching. In 1715, He founded a
missionary band known as the Company of Mary.
His
greatest contribution to the Church and world is Total Consecration to the
Blessed Virgin.
He propagated this in his day by preaching and after his own death by his
other famous book True Devotion to Mary. Consecration to Mary is
for Saint Louis the perfect manner of renewing one's baptismal promises.
His spirituality has been espoused by millions, especially Pope
John
Paul II, who has consecrated not only himself but every place he has
visited as Pope.
In True Devotion, Saint Louis prophesied that the army of souls
consecrated to Mary
will be Her
instrument in defeating the Devil and his Antichrist. As Satan gains power
in the world, so much more shall the new Eve triumph over him and crush
his head.
The
cause for his declaration as a Doctor
of the Church is now being pursued.
Born
31
January 1673 @ Montfort-La-Cane, Brittany,
France
Died
1716 @ Saint-Laurent-sur-Sovre, France
Canonized
1947 by Venerable Pope
Pius
XII
|
