St. Louis of France

Their story

Louis was born in 1214 and became King Louis IX of France when he was only twelve, after his father's death. His mother, Blanche of Castile, ruled for him until he came of age, and she raised him in deep faith. She once told him she would rather see him dead than see him commit a mortal sin. Louis married Margaret of Provence, and they had eleven children. Louis became one of the most respected rulers in Christian history. He was known for his fairness, and he would sit under an oak tree near his palace to hear the complaints of ordinary people and judge their cases himself. He founded hospitals, including one for the blind, fed the poor at his own table and often served them himself. He built the beautiful Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to house the relic of Christ's crown of thorns, and he attended Mass and prayed the Divine Office daily. Louis also led two crusades. On the first he was captured in Egypt and held for ransom, bearing his imprisonment with patience. In 1270 he set out on a second crusade, but he fell ill near Tunis, in North Africa, and died there on August 25, 1270. He was canonized in 1297. The city of St. Louis, Missouri, is named after him.