Saint Who?
Saints Who Promoted the Rosary
Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort
Priest and founder († 1716)Feast: April 28
“If by chance your conscience is burdened with sin, take your rosary and say at least part of it…. [Jesus] will plead for you and will obtain for you contrition and the forgiveness of your sins.” Louis Grignion, who took Marie as his confirmation name, was devoted to the Blessed Mother from his earliest days. Ordained a priest at age twenty-seven, he spent many years preaching Marian missions in his homeland of France.
A most effective preacher, he once brought an entire garrison of soldiers to repentance. Moved to tears, they walked in procession, barefoot, singing hymns and holding rosaries. He was an ardent proponent of total consecration to Mary, and likewise promoted the rosary, which helped to solidify the practice of consecration in daily life.
He joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic, and received the privilege (then usually reserved to Dominican friar-priests) of enrolling people in the Confraternity of the Rosary. He also founded two orders to care for the poor—the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel—and the Company of Mary to continue his work preaching missions. He authored the landmark work Secret of the Rosary, in which he gave much good advice on how to pray it. One recommendation was to have a specific intention: a “big fault a lot of people make when saying the Holy Rosary is to have no intention other than that of getting it over as quickly as possible.” Louis Marie died in 1716.
Heavenly Father, through the prayers of Saint Louis Marie, help us to pray the rosary with true devotion.
