Saint Louis was born in Poissy on April 25, 1214. At the age of twelve, following the death of his father, Louis VIII, he was crowned King of the French under the regency of his mother, Lady Blanche of Castile, who raised him as a Christian. In 1234, he assumed the government, striving above all to establish justice and peace in his kingdom. In his personal life, he dedicated himself to prayer, penance, and charity for the poor and helpless, whom he frequently seated at his table, washing their feet and serving them himself, in imitation of Christ.

In 1248, Louis IX set out for the Holy Land to liberate it; he was taken prisoner. After paying a ransom, he returned to his kingdom and initiated major reforms, including the prohibition of judicial duels (or “God’s duel”). He founded hospitals and monasteries and carried out his great project: the construction of the Sainte-Chapelle as a sanctuary of light and colored glass intended to house relics, especially Christ’s crown of thorns, which he acquired from the Emperor of Constantinople. He donated the lands of Longchamp to his sister, Blessed Isabella, to build an abbey for the nuns of Saint Clare.

The prestige of Paris

During his reign, there was a period of great cultural, intellectual, and theological evolution. Louis engaged in dialogue with Saint Bonaventure and Saint Thomas Aquinas; and together with his chaplain, Robert de Sorbon, he founded the Sorbonne in 1257. He closely followed the final works of Notre Dame Cathedral, particularly the rose windows and porticoes. Thus, Paris became the most prestigious city in Western Christianity thanks to its universities, Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame.

Louis IX’s greatest political concern was to pacify and reconcile his enemies and end conflicts, especially those between France and England. He also wished to return to the Holy Land and convert the Sultan of Egypt. In this endeavor, he reached Carthage, present-day Tunisia; but there, soldiers and nobles began to fall victim to the plague. King Louis himself, who helped care for the sick and dying, died of the disease on August 25, 1270.

It’s no surprise that his canonization process began two years after his death, considering the miracles and healings that occurred at his tomb. In 1297, after a lengthy investigation, Pope Boniface VIII elevated Louis IX to the altar. The King of France was one of the first lay people to be canonized.

Justice and peace

Louis IX strove throughout his life to ensure that justice and peace reigned, combining his

Christian vocation and statesmanship. The rulers of Europe sought him out for his wisdom. His sense of justice and his love for God and the poor have also come down to us through the symbols with which he is represented: the cross, the hand of justice, and the girdle of the Franciscan Tertiaries, of whom he is the patron saint.