Born on 31st January 1673 in the town of Montfort-sur-Meu, Brittany in France, Louis Marie was the eldest surviving child of the Grignion family. 

 

He joined the seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris and was ordained a priest on 5th June 1700. He worked for a while as chaplain of the General Hospital of Poitiers. Later on with a mandate from Pope Clement XI he was “Apostolic Missionary” in France preaching many missions in various parts of Western France. In the course of his missions he also established charitable schools. He founded three religious congregations, namely the Daughters of Wisdom, Company of Mary and Brothers of St. Gabriel.

He also wrote several books and composed many hymns. In a short life span he accomplished much and his legacy lives on even today in many parts of the world. He died in 1716 at the age of 43 years. His accomplishment is beyond imagining and its impact extended far and wide. He is known much for his love of the poor and his tender and true devotion to Mary, the mother of God. His central focus is on God Alone and that is expounded in his treatise on the Love of Eternal Wisdom. A man who is unafraid of any difficulty, he developed his inspiration from the Cross of Jesus Christ and has written much about it to his Friends of the Cross. He bestowed on his followers the Cross of Poitiers, on which is inscribed the programme for following Jesus Christ, that is to take up your cross. In all these Louis Marie always called for a return to a greater commitment in life and especially for the Christian of his time and that of today a renewal of their baptismal promises.