St. Louise de Marillac Biography
St. Louise de Marillac was born in France. She was born out of wedlock. Her father was from a prominent family, and she never knew her mother. Her father eventually married, but her new stepmother refused to accept Louise into her home. So, Louise was cared for by family members and the Dominican nuns who educated her throughout her childhood. On top of it all, she then lost her father when she was only 15.
Her childhood was turbulent. But, out of this turbulence came Louise’s strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who she chose as her mother.
Louise desired to enter religious life from an early age, but her confessor discouraged her. Instead, she married an aristocrat. Her marriage was happy, and together, they had one son. Eventually, her husband became ill, and she nursed him through his long illness until his death.
A religious woman, Louise periodically met with St. Francis de Sales and a local bishop for guidance. However, she kept receiving a message from God that, under the guidance of another priest, she would do great work. That other priest ended up being St. Vincent de Paul.
What is St. Louise de Marillac Known For?
St. Vincent de Paul was running a group called the Confraternities of Charity at the time. The Confraternities of Charity were a group of aristocratic ladies who assisted him in his work, looking after children and caring for the poor. He realized he needed more helpers to do the work well, someone to teach and organize these new helpers, and he especially required someone comfortable around people in the peasant class to lead the group. As he worked with Louise as her confessor, he realized she could fill that role.
St. Vincent de Paul began sending Louise out on missions to care for the poor, and some young women joined her. She rented a house in Paris and from there, trained women who wanted to join the work. The group grew rapidly, requiring Vincent and Louise to create a rule of life to organize the group.
Years later, Vincent allowed the members of the group to begin taking religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. After some more time, the new congregation, the Daughters of Charity, was formally approved by the Vatican.
The new group was a first of its kind. They helped abandoned children, the poor and sick, wounded soldiers, slaves, people with mental illness, and the elderly.
Louise was prolific in her work. She filled many hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions meant to help care for the poor with her sisters. When she died, the order had over 40 houses throughout France. Today, the order numbers 13,000 members in 96 countries throughout the world.
Lessons from St. Louise de Marillac
Louise had a difficult childhood. She never knew her mom, lost her father at a young age, and faced rejection by her stepmother. Her intense devotion to Mary and her heart for helping orphans and abandoned children like her came from this childhood.
Additionally, nursing her husband until his death and her widowhood also likely gave her a heart for the sick.
Louise’s mission to serve the poor, the sick, and the abandoned, borne out of a heart for others created by suffering, continues to flourish today in the order she founded.
What is St. Louise de Marillac Patron Saint Of?
- Social workers
- The sick
- The poor
- Widows
To learn more about other saints who faced trauma, visit this page.