Saints
St. Louis – King of France
St. Louis Biography
Saint Louis of France, also known as Louis IX, was born in Poissy, France in 1214. He was the third son of King Louis VIII and Queen Blanche of Castile. Growing up, Louis received a thorough education in theology, philosophy, and the arts. He was a deeply religious man and dedicated his life to serving God.
As a young man, Louis married Marguerite of Provence, with whom he had eleven children. Despite his family obligations, he remained committed to serving the poor and the sick. He often went on crusades to the Holy Land in an effort to reclaim it for Christianity.
Louis was crowned King of France in 1226, after the death of his father. During his reign, he worked to reform the legal system and improve the lives of the poor. He also built several hospitals and monasteries to care for the sick and disadvantaged.
Despite his many accomplishments, Louis is perhaps best known for his role in the Seventh Crusade. In 1248, he led an expedition to Egypt in an attempt to retake the city of Damietta. However, the campaign was a failure and Louis was captured and held prisoner for over a year before being released.
Upon his return to France, Louis continued to work for the betterment of his kingdom. He implemented a series of legal reforms known as the “Ordinances of 1254,” which established a system of fair and impartial justice. He also established a network of schools and universities to promote education and knowledge.
Throughout his life, Louis was known for his deep devotion to God and his tireless efforts to help the less fortunate. He was canonized as a saint in 1297, and is remembered as one of the most revered kings in French history.
In addition to his many accomplishments, Saint Louis of France is also remembered for his great personal piety. He was known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and often prayed before her statue in Notre Dame cathedral. He also made regular pilgrimages to various holy sites throughout Europe and the Holy Land.
Today, Saint Louis of France is remembered as a model of Christian virtue and a symbol of the highest ideals of chivalry and kingship. His legacy lives on in the many charitable organizations and religious institutions that continue to bear his name.
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“I love you as much as a mother can love her child,” Queen Blanche of France said to her son Louis, “but I would rather see you dead at my feet than have you commit a mortal sin.” Under his mother’s capable direction young Louis was receiving an excellent education in art, languages, literature, music, philosophy, history, military science, and the art of governing.
But, above all, the Queen impressed upon Louis the importance of living not for time alone but for eternity. He learned the lesson well, for he is a canonized saint. With his disposition and his mother’s training he no doubt would have been a saint under any circumstances. It so happened that he was born into the royal family and became King of France when he was twelve years old. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of Saint Louis on August 25th. St. Louis, King of France, pray for us!
The Life of St. Louis
Saint Louis was born on April 25, 1214, in Poissy, France. His parents were King Louis XIII and Blanche of Castille. As a boy, Louis was inclined to be irritable and quick tempered, faults for which he was chastised by the tutors and masters who were under his mother’s direction. As an adult St. Louis was able to keep his temper under strict control. He was tall and slim with bright blue eyes and light hair. Usually he had a serious expression but his face was so transformed when he smiled that his charm was almost irresistible. Because Louis was so young when his father died, his mother acted as regent.
Later, when he assumed complete power, he constantly turned to his mother as a counselor. Rebellious nobles were causing much trouble when St. Louis became king. Queen Blanche saw that it was necessary to put down these revolts if the country was to be peace. The young king accompanied his armies to the battlefield.
St Louis was a good soldier and an excellent military strategist, but it pained him to have to fight other Christians. During his long reign he found it necessary to go to battle on several occasions, but often he was able to avoid war by means of diplomacy, at which he was very adept. His reputation for diplomacy and honesty was so great that he was called upon several times to arbitrate disputes between other powers.
St. Louis’s Deep Devotion to the Church & His People
In spite of the exacting duties of his office Louis found time to assist at Mass and to recite the Divine Office every day. He confessed frequently. When a courtier suggested that he devoted too much time to prayer, he replied: “If I spent the same time in hunting or at a tournament or in playing games, no one would think it too much.”
He wore a hair shirt, scourged himself frequently, seldom partook of delicacies, and drank little wine. He was very generous to the poor, and he built homes for the disabled and the afflicted, He started a number of religious institutions. If there was one sin he hated more than any other it was that of swearing. “I had willingly,” he once remarked, “be branded by a hot iron if by that covenant all evil swearing might be banished from my realm.”
For all his penances, which were performed strictly in secret, King Louis could be the genial host. When there was an important feast or when new knights were created he celebrated the occasion with magnificence. Once when a friar started to talk about a grave religious topic at the table Louis changed the subject, saying: “All things have their time.”
St. Louis & St. Thomas Aquinas
An incident of a different kind occurred when the future St. Thomas Aquinas and his prior came to dinner. Thomas Aquinas did not want to go to the dinner. He was writing a theological essay and he did not care for social affairs anyway. His prior told him that no one refused an invitation from a king, so he went.
While the king and the others chatted during dinner, Thomas’ mind was still with his essay. Suddenly, in the middle of the meal, Thomas banged his fist on the table and cried: “Here is a decisive point against the Manichean heresy!” The horrified prior pulled Thomas’ sleeve and reminded him where he was. The king, far from being offended, called for a secretary to take down the “decisive point” lest it be lost.
St. Louis And Margaret: Holy Parents
When he was nineteen Louis married Margaret of Provence. The marriage was blessed with five sons and six daughters. The descendants of Louis and Margaret were to be kings of France for another five hundred years, till the monarchy ended. Louis was strict with his children. He expected prompt obedience when he spoke and the respect due him as king and father.
He hoped that some of his children would enter the religious life, but such was not God’s will. His daughter Isabella became Queen of Navarre. Once he sent her two exquisite ivory boxes as a present. In one of the boxes was a chain about a yard long with sharp metal points attached. He suggested that she scourge herself occasionally in expiation of her own sins and those of her father. The other box contained a broad horsehair belt which he recommended she wear next to her skin for penance.
St. Louis the Just King of France
The king kept the honor of God, the welfare of the Church, and the good of his subjects ever before his mind. He saw that justice was done his subjects regardless of rank. All his subjects, high and low, were welcome to come to him and present their pleas. He had a keen sense of justice.
In his instructions to Philip, his heir, he wrote: “If you come to be king, do that which befits a king… deviate in nothing from justice, whatever befalls you. If a poor man goes to law with one that is rich, support the poor man rather than the rich man until you know the truth, and when the truth is known, do that which is just.” He also wrote: “Take heed lest your love for any person should cause you to deviate from justice.”
Although Saint Louis was opposed to war with other Christians he felt strongly that the Christians of Europe should try to rescue the Holy Land from the Moslems. In 1099 the Crusaders had set up Jerusalem as a Christian kingdom, and four other small Christian states were established in the vicinity. After many years Jerusalem had again fallen to the Moslems and the other Christian states were in grave danger.
St. Louis Leads Crusades to to Liberate Jerusalem
In 1248, Louis left France at the head of a large army whose purpose was to recapture Jerusalem. The odds against the expedition were too great. Louis was able to visit such Holy Places, but he accomplished nothing in a military way. In 1252, his mother, who ruled France as regent during his absence urged him to return to France. He stayed on eighteen months longer, hoping against hope that he might be able to liberate Jerusalem.
In 1254 he received word that his mother had died He was stricken with grief but he thanked God for having spared her to him, and to France, for so long. For the rest of his life he had a Mass offered daily in his presence for the repose of her soul. After Louis returned from the Holy Land his penances and mortifications became even more severe than they had been before.
Domestic affairs occupied his attention for the next sixteen years, but he never gave up his hope of making another Crusade. In 1270, at the call of the pope, he and three of his sons, together with a large number of nobles and knights, engaged in the Eighth, and last, Crusade. They landed in Tunis in North Africa. Here many members of the expedition, including St. Louis himself, were stricken by the plague. Saint Louis prayed earnestly and with resignation during his sufferings.
He received the last sacraments and entrusted France to his eldest son, Philip, whom he had trained for the job. Shortly before the end he asked to be laid on a bed of ashes on the ground. With his hands folded peacefully upon his breast, Saint Louis died on August 25, 1270. He was canonized twenty-five years later.
OTHER SAINTS OF THE SAME NAME:
- St. Louis of Cordova, died 855. Killed by Moors. Feast Day: April 30.
- St. Louis of Anjou, died 1297. Bishop of Toulouse. Nephew of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and great-nephew of St. Louis of France. Feast Day: August 19.
- St. Louis Bertrand, died 1589, Dominican apostle of northern South America. Feast Day: October 9.
- St. Louise de Marillac. died 1660, co-founder with St. Vincent de Paul, of the Daughters of Charity. Feast Day: May 9
- St. Louis de Montfort, died 1716, Preacher and missionary. Feast day: April 28
Prayers to St. Louis IX King of France
O holy King St. Louis, worthy son of our Holy Father St. Francis and patron of the Third Order, intercede for me with our Heavenly Father.
Obtain for me the grace to follow in thy footsteps, to be always a dutiful child of St. Francis, and to observe exactly, all the days of my life, that holy rule which thou loved so ardently and kept so faithfully.
Be my guide and protector, so that I may never stray from the path of virtue but increase daily in holiness and perfection, and finally merit to be numbered among the chosen ones of our Seraphic Father in Heaven. Amen.
O God, Who didst exalt blessed Louis Thy Confessor from an earthly realm to the glory of Thy Heavenly kingdom: grant, we pray Thee, that by his merits and intercession we may be made heirs of the King of Kings, Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen
O Lord, King of kings, Jesus Christ, Who didst love Saint Louis and didst lead him into the heavenly Kingdom: grant that by his intercession and good works, we may participate in his glory for all eternity. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Prayer to St. Louis to care for the sick
Dear Saint Louis, pray for us that we may follow in your footsteps and serve the poor and the sick with a selfless heart. May we always remember to put the needs of others before our own and strive to live a life of humility and charity.
O Saint Louis, patron of justice and righteousness, pray for us that we may always seek to do what is right and fair. May we never turn a blind eye to injustice, but rather strive to bring about change and promote equality for all.
Glorious Saint Louis, help us to imitate your deep devotion to God and your commitment to living a life of purity and holiness. May we always strive to draw closer to our Lord and seek His guidance in all that we do. Amen.
Children’s Story about St. Louis
There was once a young prince named Louis who lived in a beautiful castle in France. Louis was a very good and kind boy, and he loved to help others. He would often visit the sick and the poor and bring them food and gifts.
One day, Louis’s father, the king, called him into his chambers. “Louis, I have some very important news,” the king said. “I am getting older, and I need you to take my place as king when I am gone.”
Louis was surprised, but he knew that he was ready to serve his people and do what was best for the kingdom. So, he promised his father that he would do his very best to be a good and wise king.
As king, Louis worked very hard to make his kingdom a better place. He built hospitals and monasteries to care for the sick and the poor, and he made sure that everyone had access to education. He also fought in several crusades to the Holy Land, hoping to reclaim it for Christianity.
Even though he was a busy king, Louis never forgot about the importance of helping others. He would often visit the sick and the poor, and he made sure that they had everything they needed.
As he grew older, Louis became even more devoted to his faith and his service to others. He prayed often and made frequent pilgrimages to holy sites throughout Europe.
Eventually, Louis passed away, but his legacy lived on. He was remembered as a great king who always put others before himself and who worked tirelessly to serve his people. And so, many years later, Louis was made a saint, and people all over the world continue to pray to him and ask for his help.
Saints Similar to St. Louis
You may also be interested in reading the Biography of St. Louis Marie de Montfort and the Biography of St. Louise de Marillac. St. Louis, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, and St. Louise de Marillac were all prominent figures in the Catholic Church, with St. Louis being a king, St. Louis Marie de Montfort a priest and founder of religious orders, and St. Louise de Marillac a co-founder of the Daughters of Charity. Next up: Biography of St. Louis Marie de Montfort
Also check out our handmade St. Louis Medal and St. Louis Rosary and St. Louis Rosary Bracelet .