Louis IX of France

Louis IX was born on 25 April 1214 at Poissy, near Paris, and was baptized in the church of Notre-Dame there. Crowned king at only twelve after the death of his father, Louis VIII, he was formed in faith and virtue by his mother, Blanche of Castile, who governed as regent and remained his trusted counselor. As king, Louis sought to rule as a Christian shepherd of his people: he strengthened royal justice, curbed private warfare, abolished trials by ordeal, and promoted fairer legal procedures, earning a reputation for integrity that led other rulers to ask him to arbitrate their disputes. Deeply prayerful and austere, he was often called a “monk king.” He also encouraged learning and sacred beauty, most famously through the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. After a grave illness, Louis fulfilled a vow by leading the Seventh and later the Eighth Crusade; he endured capture and ransom, and finally died of dysentery in 1270 while on crusade. Canonized in 1297, he is honored as the only canonized king of France and as patron of places and institutions bearing his name. His feast day is August 25.