St. Louise de Marillac was born in Meux, France, on August 12, 1591, into a noble French family. Louise lost her mother when she was still a child. Nevertheless, Louise was cared for and received an excellent education at the royal monastery of Poissy near Paris, where her aunt was a Dominican nun. At 16, Louise desired to become a nun, but poor health intervened, and five years later, she married Antoine and bore him a son, Michel. With pious Antoine's approval, she devoted all her free time to works of charity among the poor in Paris, though many considered it unbecoming of her social status.
After Antony died in 1625, Louise met St. Vincent de Paul, who became her spiritual adviser. She helped direct the Ladies of Charity in caring for the sick, the poor, and the neglected. She also started a systematic training course for the young country girls who came to Paris to assist the ladies of the nobility in giving personal care to the sick and the poor. This was the beginning of the Daughters of Charity. Louise took her vows in 1634 and attracted a great number of candidates. She wrote a rule for the community, and in 1642, Vincent allowed four members to take vows.
Formal approval placed the community under Vincent and his Congregation of the Missions, with Louise as Superior. Louise emphasized a balanced life in working with her sisters, as Vincent de Paul had taught her. The integration of contemplation and activity made Louise's work so successful. In addition, the Sisters undertook the religious and secular instruction of poor children and started foundling asylums and homes for the aged, the infirm, and the insane. By the time of her death in Paris on March 15, the Congregation had more than forty houses in France. Since then, they have spread all over the world. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934 and was declared Patroness of Social Workers in 1960.
St. Louise de Marillac intercede for us to love and serve the poor, seeing Christ in them.
Prepared and updated by:
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.
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