Saint

Louise
de
Marillac Foundress with St. Vincent de Paul of the
Daughters of Charity
 Saint Louise de Marillac
August 12, 1591: Born out of wedlock

Where: Ferrieres-en-Brie near Meux, France (now in the department of Oise, in Picardy)
Mother: Unknown
Father: Jean-Louis de Marillac ( widower at the time of her birth but recognized her as his natural daughter)

October 10, 1591: Laced in care at the royal monastery of Poissy of Dominican Sisters of Poissy with an
aunt. Very well educated

1595: Remarriage of her father to Antoinette Le Camus in January. Louise’s stepmother never accepted her
husband’s illegitimate daughter into the family
1603:The Company of Jesus was restored

July 1604: Louis dies (July 25). Louise sent to boarding school for girls of lower estate at age 13 (12).
Michele, her uncle, became his guardian.

1606: Expressed her desire to enter the capuchin nuns; secretly made a promise to become a nun

1610: Experience disappointed when she was refused to cloister; her poor health could surely not cope with
rigid life of the nuns. Her director assured her “that God has some other designs for her.”

Summer 1612: Louise’s request to enter Capuchin sisters rejected because of her “delicate health”
 Jean-Louis de Marillac
( widower at the time of her birth but recognized her as his
natural daughter), a member of the aristocracy
 Saint Louise de Marillac
February 5, 1613: marries Antoine Le Gras (secretary to the Queen Mother of France,
Marie de Medicis)– she became “Mademoiselle Le Gras”
October 18, 1613: Son Michel is born
1617: Left with care of four orphaned children of Valence De Marillac – “My deceased
husband consumed everything: his time, his life taking care of the business” of this family
1619: Francis de Sales meets Louise and provides great consolation and support to her

1622: De Marillacs’ political fortunes improve; Antoine becomes sick and in severe
economic need. Louise becomes increasingly depressed.

1623: Made vow of widowhood, May 4..Pentecost experience: La Lumiere, June 4, which
became a pivotal point in her spiritual development

August 12, 1623: Louise takes “Vow of Widowhood”

1623-1624: Beginning of spiritual direction by Vincent de Paul

December 21, 1625: Antoine Le Gras dies

 Antoine Le Gras
Secretary to the Queen Mother
of France, Marie de Medicis

Marie de Medicis
Queen Mother of France
 Saint Louise de Marillac
After Antony's death in 1625, she met St. Vincent de Paul, who became her spiritual
adviser. She devoted the rest of her life to working with him.
In the beginning – Louise continually searching for God’s will for her life;
extremely concerned about her son Michel; a structured and rigid prayer style.
1625-1628: Louise becomes more involved in preparing clothing or food for the
poor.
Around 1627: Her son Michel–Antoine was placed as a boarder at the seminary of Saint
Nicolas du Chardonnet but he did not do well in his studies. Louise hoped he would
become a priest.
July 1628: Louise, in prayer, led to devote herself to the service of the poor
May 16, 1629: Vincent sends Louise on mission to visit the Charity at Montmirail.
1629: First establishment of the Confraternities in the city of Paris at Saint
Sauveur
1630: the arrival of Marguerite Nasseau and Marie Jolie
November 16, 1630: failed coup d’etat by two of Louise’s uncles – one decapitated,
the other dies in prison. Louise keenly feels this loss.
 Montmirail

The Confraternity of
Charity (1617) was the first
institutional expression of the
Vincentian charism and it
involved lay leadership for
social action.
 Marguerite Nasseau
work with the Ladies of
Charity

Francis de Sales
was a Bishop of Geneva and is
honored as a saintin the
Catholic Church
 Saint Louise de Marillac
About 1631: A rumor was started that Louise had promised to marry someone. There was no truth
to the rumor but it deeply hurt Louise. Vincent’s famous response to her struggle was “J’ai peine
de votre peine.” (I suffer when you suffer)
1631: Gentleman accuses Louise of having accepted his offer of marriage.
1629-1633: Visit and organized Charities outside Paris in summer and, in winter, established
Charities in Paris
1632: Death of Michel de Marillac, Louise’s uncle and guardian
1633: Foundation along with Vincent de Paul of the Company of the Daughters of Charity of
St. Vincent de Paul, Nov. 29
May to October 1633: Vincent and Louise engage in dialogue and prayer about the possible
founding of a new type of Confraternity
November 29, 1633: Louise gathers the first 4 or 5 young women volunteers in her own rooms.
** November, 1633; a dozen in July, 1634; twenty by the end of 1635. The arrival of all these
young women led to the search for a larger house**
March 25, 1634: Louise binds herself by vow to consecrate herself to the work of this
Confraternity of the Daughters of Charity
 Michel de Marillac
Louise’s Uncle

Hotel Dieu of Paris

 Saint Louise de Marillac

1640: Michel abandons the cassock

1641: Ministry of education begins by the Daughters of Charity
March 25, 1642: Louise de Marillac and four Daughters pronounce the first vows of the
Daughters of Charity during the celebration of the Eucharist: vows of poverty, chastity, obedience
and service of the poor. At the same time some other Daughters reaffirm their commitment in the
Company.
Pentecost Eve 1642: Collapse of Motherhouse floor and increasing problems: fights between
Sisters, tensions with pastors & bishops, death of Sisters due to plague.

1645: Vincent submits to Louise the “Memorandum on the Establishment of the Daughters” – 30
to 40 houses of Daughters
November 20, 1646: Erection of the Company of the Daughters of Charity as a Confraternity –
this document was “lost”
1646: Approbation of the Confraternity of the Daughters of Charity by Jean-François de Gondi,
coadjutor of the Bishop of Paris; the Confraternity is made dependent upon the bishops, Nov. 20
 The Light of
Pentecost
“On the feast of Pentecost I was in St. Nicolas-des-Champs during Holy Mass, and all in an instant my
mind was cleared of these doubts, and I was made to realize that I must remain with my husband, and
that a time would come when I should be in a position to make vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience, and that this would be done with persons where other women did the same.

“I then understood myself to be in a place for the relief and assistance of my neighbors, but I
could not understand how this was being done, because these neighbors were coming and going.

“I also understood that I was to be in peace as to my director, and that God would give me one,
whom he caused me to see, as I supposed, for I felt a repugnance about accepting him, but all the same
I consented; and it seemed to me that this was because I was not to make this change just yet.

“My third burden was taken from me by the assurance that I felt in my mind, that it was God
who was teaching me these things, and that since there was a God I ought not to be doubtful about the
other things. At that time, the doubt as to immortality was leading me to disbelieve in Divinity.

“I have always believed that I received this grace through the blessed Monseigneur of Geneva,
because I had greatly desired, before his death, to communicate these troubles to him, and since then I
have felt towards him a great devotion, and I have received through him many graces. At that time I
had some matter about which I sought his advice, but I cannot now remember what it was. This
happened on the feast of Pentecost, 1623, in the church of St Nicolas-des-Champs, during Mass.”
 Jean-François de Gondi
coadjutor of the Bishop of Paris
 Saint Louise de Marillac

1647: Crises with Michel and the community

January 18, 1650: Michel marries Gabrielle Le Clerc

1651: Birth of Renee-Louise LeGras, grand-daughter of Louise

1652: Sending of the first Daughters of Charity beyond France into Poland at
Warsaw

January 18, 1655: Approbation of the Company of the Daughters of Charity by

Cardinal de Retz – the term “Company” rather than “Congregation” safeguarded
them against becoming enclosed as nuns:
Company had 122 members at this time.

August 8, 1655: Acts of establishment of Daughter of Charity

 Saint Louise de Marillac

1655: Act of Establishment of the Company of the Daughters of Charity, Aug. 8.

First election of Officers. Approbation of the Company of the Daughters of Charity
by cardinal de Retz, Archbishop of Paris. The superior general of the Priests of the
Mission is recognized as the superior of the Daughters of Charity .

November 1657: Louis XIV approves the establishment of the Company

December 16, 1658: registration by Parlement of Letters Patent of King

March 15, 1660: Louise dies in Paris just a few months before Vincent de Paul

June 8, 1668: Papal approval of the Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor
Sick
 Saint Louise de Marillac

1911: Pope Pius X issued the Decree of Heroicity of Virtues of Louise

de Marillac, widow Le Gras, co-foundress of the Daughters of Charity,
July 19

1920: Pope Benedict XV beatified Louise de Marillac, May 9

1934: Pope Pius XI presided at the solemnity of canonization, March

11; proclaimed as a saint of the church

1960: Pope John XXIII commemorated the Third Centenary of the death
of Saint Louise de Marillac, by declaring her “Patron of Christian Social
Workers,” Feb. 10
"Work hard in the service of the poor…
love the poor, honor them, my
daughters, and you will honor Christ
himself.“

--- St. Louise de Marillac

St Louise de Marillac in St Peter's Basilica
Born - 12 August 1591
at Paris

Died - 15 March 1660

Canonized - 11 March
1934 by Pius XI

Feast Day - 15 March

Founded - Daughters of
Charity of St Vincent de
Paul
Thank you !
By:

Janine Nicole Espineda

Kim Nicole Lanuza