(1673-1716) Louis was the oldest of 18 children born to a notary and farmer in northwest France. He was ordained a priest at 27 and was assigned to a parish in Nantes, France, though he wanted to be a missionary to the new French colony in Canada. 10 years later, Louis became a Third Order Dominican, gained permission to preach on the Rosary and form Rosary confraternities, which led to the founding of the Company of Mary. Louis also founded the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Montfort Missionaries. Many of his books are considered classics that have influenced popes and laymen alike, including True Devotion to Mary, The Secret of the Rosary, and The Love of Eternal Wisdom.
What role could devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary serve in your recovery?
“If we wish to go to him, seeking union with him, we must use the same means which he used in coming down from heaven to assume our human nature and to impart his graces to us. That means was a complete dependence on Mary his Mother, which is true devotion to her” (Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort).
Reflection by Brad Farmer