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Missionary in Brittany and Vendee; born at Montfort, 31 January, 1673; died at Saint Laurent sur Sevre, 28 April, 1716.
From his childhood, he was indefatigably devoted toprayer before theBlessed Sacrament, and, when from his twelfth year he was sent as a day pupil to theJesuit college atRennes, he never failed tovisit the church before and after class. He joined asociety of young men who duringholidaysministered to the poor and to the incurables in thehospitals, and read for them edifying books during their meals. At the age of nineteen, he went on foot toParis to follow the course intheology, gave away on the journey all his money to thepoor, exchanged clothing with them, and made avow to subsist thenceforth only onalms. He wasordainedpriest at the age of twenty-seven, and for some time fulfilled theduties ofchaplain in ahospital. In 1705, when he was thirty-two, he found histruevocation, and thereafter devoted himself to preaching to the people. During seventeen years he preached theGospel in countless towns and villages. As an orator he was highlygifted, his language being simple but replete withfire anddivine love. His whole life was conspicuous forvirtues difficult for modern degeneracy to comprehend: constantprayer,love of thepoor,poverty carried to an unheard-of degree,joy in humiliations and persecutions.
The following two instances will illustrate his success. He once gave amission for the soldiers of the garrison atLa Rochelle, and moved by his words, the men wept, and cried aloud for theforgiveness of theirsins. In theprocession which terminated thismission, an officer walked at the head, barefooted and carrying a banner, and the soldiers, also barefooted, followed, carrying in one hand acrucifix, in the other arosary, and singinghymns.
Grignion's extraordinary influence was especially apparent in the matter of the calvary at Pontchateau. When he announced his determination of building a monumental calvary on a neighbouring hill, theidea was enthusiastically received by the inhabitants. For fifteen months between two and four hundred peasants worked daily without recompense, and the task had just been completed, when the king commanded that the whole should be demolished, and the land restored to its former condition. TheJansenists had convinced the Governor of Brittany that a fortress capable of affording aid to persons in revolt was being erected, and for several months five hundred peasants, watched by a company of soldiers, were compelled to carry out the work of destruction. Father de Montfort was not disturbed on receiving this humiliating news, exclaiming only: "Blessed beGod!"
This was by no means the only trial to which Grignion was subjected. It often happened that theJansenists, irritated by his success, secured by their intrigues his banishment form the district, in which he was giving amission. AtLa Rochelle some wretches put poison into his cup of broth, and, despite the antidote which he swallowed, his health was always impaired. On another occasion, some malefactors hid in a narrow street with theintention ofassassinating him, but he had apresentiment of danger and escaped by going by another street. A year before his death, Father de Montfort founded two congregations — theSisters of Wisdom, who were to devote themselves tohospital work and the instruction ofpoor girls, and theCompany of Mary, composed of missionaries. He had long cherished these projects but circumstances had hindered their execution, and, humanly speaking, the work appeared to have failed at his death, since these congregations numbered respectively only foursisters and twopriests with a few brothers. But the blessed founder, who had on several occasions shown himself possessed of thegift ofprophecy, knew that the tree would grow. At the beginning of the twentieth century theSisters of Wisdom numbered five thousand, and were spread throughout every country; they possessed forty-four houses, and gave instruction to 60,000 children. After the death of its founder, theCompany of Mary was governed for 39 years by Father Mulot. He had at first refused to join de Montfort in his missionary labours. "I cannot become a missionary", said he, "for I have been paralysed on one side for years; I have an affection of the lungs which scarcely allows me to breathe, and am indeed so ill that I have no rest day or night." But theholy man, impelled by a sudden inspiration, replied, "As soon as you begin to preach you will be completely cured." And the event justified the prediction. Grignion de Montfort wasbeatified byLeo XIII in 1888.
Note: Louis de Montfort wascanonized by Pius XII in 1947.
CRUIKSHANK, Blessed Grignion, etc. (London, 1892); JAC, Vie, etc. (Paris, 1903); LAVEILLE, Vic, etc. (Paris, 1907).
APA citation.Poulain, A.(1910).St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09384a.htm
MLA citation.Poulain, Augustin."St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 9.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09384a.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Michael T. Barrett.Dedicated to Mary Barrett.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor.Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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