Louis de Montfort

Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was born on January 31, 1673, in Montfort-sur-Meu, France, and spent his early years near Iffendic. As a young student in Rennes, he was stirred by the witness of itinerant missionaries and began to cultivate a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sent to Paris to study, he embraced a life close to the poor and, after illness and recovery, continued his formation at Saint-Sulpice, where his prayer and study helped shape his lasting Marian spirituality and devotion to the Rosary. Ordained a priest in 1700, he longed for foreign missions but was guided instead to evangelize his own country. After a pilgrimage to Rome, Pope Clement XI named him an Apostolic Missionary, and Louis spent his remaining years preaching missions across western France with zeal, humility, and trust amid opposition. He founded the Company of Mary and, with Marie Louise Trichet, the Daughters of Wisdom, serving the poor and educating children. His writings, especially True Devotion to Mary and The Secret of the Rosary, continue to lead souls to Jesus through Mary. He died on April 28, 1716, at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre. His feast day is April 28.