St. Louis Marie de Montfort:
Our Founder

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort was a French priest, living in the 17th and 18th centuries, who was called by God, he believed, to help to renew the Christian life of the people of the West of France by his preaching of parish missions, and especially through the promotion of genuine devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

A Summary of the Life of St. Louis Marie

  • Born 31 January 1673, in Montfort-sur-Meu, Brittany
  • Educated at the Jesuit College of St. Thomas Becket, Rennes
  • Studied for the priesthood at the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice, Paris
  • Ordained a priest 5 June 1700, officially for the diocese of Saint-Malo
  • Worked in Diocese of Nantes (parish missions) 1700-1701
  • Diocese of Poitiers (Chaplain to "General Hospital", and later a Mission preacher), 1701-1706
    • Two visits to Paris (the second for almost a year)
    • Foundation of the "Daughters of Wisdom" 1703, with Blessed Marie-Louise of Jesus (Trichet)
    • First member of the "Company of Mary", Brother Mathurin Rangeard, 1705
    • Suffered rejection because of his unconventional methods
  • Pilgrimage to Rome to visit Pope Clement XI, 1706, who appoints him "Missionary Apostolic"
  • Missions in the dioceses of Saint-Malo and Saint-Brieuc, 1706-1708
  • Missions in the diocese of Nantes, 1708-1711
    • Construction, and later prohibition, of Calvary of Pontchâteau
  • Missions in the dioceses of Luçon, Saintes and (especially) La Rochelle, 1711-1716
    • Visits to Paris and Rouen in search of recruits for his "Company of Mary"
    • First priests join the "Company of Mary" 1715: Frs. Adrien Vatel and René Mulot
    • Writing of "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin" and other works
  • Died at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, in Vendée, 28 April 1716, aged 43
  • Beatified 1888
  • Canonised by Pope Pius XII, 20 July 1947

It is estimated that St. Louis Marie preached more than 200 parish missions during his 16 years of priestly ministry. He travelled from one to the other always on foot.


St. Louis Marie de Montfort
Itinerant preacher

A fuller account of the life of St. Louis Marie de Montfort may be found here.

Various biographies of the Saint are also available from Montfort Press.