Saint Louis IX
Louis was born in Poissy on April 25, 1214, and then at the young age of 12, he was crowned king of France under the regency of his Spanish mother Blanca de Castilla, who instilled in him the ideals of an immaculate life. Above all, he created in his soul a yearning for service to God and Christian piety, in a time when the nobility was synonymous with debauchery. When his kingdom reached peace and stability in 1234, he married Margarita, daughter of the Count of Provence. She would accompany him for the rest of his reign and help him achieve holiness.
Luis's behavior was guided by his Christian morals, stating that government is a duty, not a right. St. Louis belonged to the Secular Franciscan Order, founded many monasteries and built the famous Holy Chapel in Paris, near the cathedral, to house a large collection of relics of Christianity. St. Louis gained fame as a good and fair King. When Europe struggled between Emperor Frederick II and the Pope because of investiture and royalties, St. Louis became a mediator, defending the causes of the Church, and dedicating himself to protect priests.
In addition to his numerous fasts (an uncommon behavior among kings), St. Louis had a special predilection for the poor and homeless. On his own, he goes through the hospitals, and distributes alms. At the end of his participation in the crusades, he acquires a special interest in Franciscan and Dominican religious. In order to have a few conversations with Saint Bonaventure and Saint Thomas Aquinas, Louis visited the monasteries and prayed in them just as any other monk. On August 25, he dies of the plague, after having insisted on caring for the stinking and dying. He was then 56 years old and 40 years old. His remains rest in the pantheon of San Dionisio, of Paris.
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