Marie Louise Trichet
Encyclopedia
Blessed Marie Louise Trichet also known as Marie-Louise de Jésus was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 figure who, with Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....

, founded the Congregation of religious women called Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

 and since the age of seventeen devoted her life to caring for the poor and the sick. She is also referred to as the First Daughter of Wisdom. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

 and currently awaits canonizaton.

Early life and background

She was born in Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...

, on the Clain
Clain
The Clain is a 144 km long river in western France, left tributary of the river Vienne. Its source is near Hiesse, in the Charente department.The Clain flows generally north through the following departments and towns:*Charente...

 River in west central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 on May 7, 1684 and baptized at the church of St. Etienne. Her father Julien was a court magistrate in Poitiers and her mother Françoise Lecocq was deeply religious, as was most of her family.

Childhood and education

She was the fourth child, and had seven siblings. Her younger brother Alexis, born just one year earlier, was ordained a priest in 1710 and later died because he volunteered to minister to plague striken inmates in a prison camp. The youngest of her sisters later joined the Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

.
Marie Louise grew up in an atmosphere of religion and education, and when seven years old, was sent to the boarding school at Poitiers run by the Sisters of St. Jeanne de Lestonac to acquire the social qualifications suitable for the upper echelons of seventeenth-century France. Yet, ten years later, in a confessional, her life took a turn in a different direction.

The area of western France where she grew up had a strong Christian connotation. Poitiers is home to Baptistère Saint-Jean
Baptistère Saint-Jean
The Baptistère Saint-Jean is a religious edifice in Poitiers, France. It is reputed to be the oldest existing Christian building in France and one of the most prominent examples of Merovingian architecture.-Roman origins:...

, reportedly the oldest extant Christian building in France. And the historic Battle of Tours
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...

 fought between Christians and Muslims in the area between Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...

 and Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...

 just 20 km north of Poitiers was the first decisive victory that turned back the Muslim invasion of Europe in the 8th century.

Poitiers in the middle ages

Poitiers was also important in that in the 15th century the French royal parliament in exile moved from Paris to Poitiers. In the 16th century, Poitiers impressed visitors because of its relatively large size, royal courts, university, prolific printing shops, religious institutions, cathedral and numerous parishes.

Yet the apparent affluence of Poitiers in the 17th century, prior to the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

 in the 18th century, had a less than royal side. France was plagued by corruption, and rampant poverty. At Poitiers, the rejects of society, the beggars, cripples and drunks were forcibly sent to a stone building called the General Hospital. The hospital inmates were only offered a common room, one bed for two or three, black bread and a stew of unknown origin - and had to wear a rough gray uniform.

Meeting Louis de Montfort

In 1701, Father Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....

 arrived in Poitiers, having been ordained a priest in June 1700. Over two centuries later, when he was declared a Saint, it became well known that Montfort was no ordinary priest. But in 1701 he was just a young, highly idealistic priest who wanted to be the champion of the poor, having been inspired as a teenager to preach to the poor. He also had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Thus apart from offering mass and hearing confessions, Montfort used to spend much time with the poor of the Poitiers General Hospital, where he later became the chaplain. He tried to introduce rules and rights for the inmates, but met strong resistance from the hospital authorities. Yet, in his classic style, Montfort persisted.

The first meeting

As she was growing up, Marie Louis and her sister Elizabeth would attend daily mass at the Poitiers Cathedral. One day, after hearing Montfort's sermon, Elizabeth reportedly commented "that preacher is a saint" and suggested that they go to confession to him.

Marie Louis's first meeting with Montfort was thus a confession. Upon entering the confessional, he reportedly asked her: "Who sent you to me?" and she started to reply that her sister had suggested it. "No. it was the Blessed Virgin who sent you to me" was Montfort's quick interruption.

Later, when she confided in Montfort that she wished for a religious life of devotion, Montfort's direction was: "go and live in the hospital". Marie-Louise obeyed and offered her free services to the hospital. Given that there was no official position for a governor at the hospital, despite her family background and education, she volunteered to enter the hospital "as an inmate".

As mad as that priest

The parents of Marie Louis were not pleased with her decision to enter the hospital as an inmate and her mother reportedly told her: "You will become as mad as that priest".
But on February 2, 1703, Marie Louis left her family, consecrated herself to God and received a religious habit from Montfort.

That was the beginning of a four decade effort during which she nursed the sick; gave food to beggars and administered the great maritime hospital of France. The poor people of the Hospital of Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....

 in Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...

 eventually came to call her "good Mother Jesus".

Montfort's departure

Frustrated with the local bishops, Montfort set off to make a pilgrimage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

, to ask Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death in 1721.-Early life:...

, what he should do. The Pope recognised his real vocation and, telling him that there was plenty of scope for its exercise in France, sent him back with the title of Apostolic Missionary.

Thus Montfort left Poitiers and for several years he travelled on foot, preaching missions from Brittany to Nantes, and his reputation as a great missioner grew, and he became known as "the good Father from Montfort".

A life of service to the poor and the sick

After Montfort's departure, Marie Louis was left alone at the hospital to care for the sick while awaiting his occasional letters of encouragement. He once wrote to her: "If we do not risk anything for God we will never do anything great for Him." Indeed, Montfort often risked everything along his apostolic path. Attempts were made on his life and he was poisoned. Yet he persisted and eventually returned to Poitiers almost ten years later.

Ten years at Poitiers hospital

Before leaving, Montfort had established the Rule of the Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

for the small congregation he had formed with Marie Louis as the first member. With the rule, to this day the congregation strives to acquire heavenly wisdom by imitating the Incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ. The means for imitating Christ is a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

For almost her entire youth, Marie Louis lived among the poor and the sick, and served them, following the Rule left behind by Montfort, but rejected by the governors of the hospital for ten years. Eventually, the duties and authorities trusted to her increased and from 1708 she substituted for the official bursar, and in 1711 she was in complete charge of the hospital. In 1713, Montfort eventually returned to Poitiers and gave her a companion, Catherine Brunet.

Daughters of Wisdom

Bishop de Champflour of La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...

 on the Atlantic coast just to the west of Poitiers had been impressed with Montfort for some time. Based on the bishop's invitation to Montfort, in 1715 Marie Louise and Catherine Brunet left Poitiers for La Rochelle to open a free religious school there. In a short time, the free school supported by the bishop and following the program and rules laid down by Montfort had 400 students.

On August 22, 1715, Marie Louise and Catherine Brunet, along with Marie Valleau and Marie Régnier from La Rochelle received the approbation of Bishop de Champflour of La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...

 to perform their religious profession under the direction of Montfort. At the ceremony Montfort told them: "Call yourselves the Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

, for the teaching of children and the care of the poor
."

Following the path of Montfort

In April 1716 Montfort had gone to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Pilgrimage:Some 25,000 visitors per year arrive at the town, for it is the burial place of two well known Roman Catholic figures: Saint Louis de Montfort andBlessed Marie Louise Trichet...

 to preach, where he fell ill and died on 28 April 1716. The thirty-two year old Marie Louise thus had to assume the full responsibility for the foundation.

In 1719 the sisters went back to Poitiers and later managed to establish a Mother House in 1720 at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Pilgrimage:Some 25,000 visitors per year arrive at the town, for it is the burial place of two well known Roman Catholic figures: Saint Louis de Montfort andBlessed Marie Louise Trichet...

 in the Maison Longue (the long house), now a museum devoted to her life and the Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

. But they had to live in abject poverty for several years, at times living on black bread alone and occasionally an egg. In time with prividence and the dowries provided by certain new novices, they acquired land that produced some revenue. As Montfort had predicted, in time more novices arrived and the organization grew.

In the thirty years that followed 1729 Marie Louis established thirty new charitable communities where the Daughters of Wisdom visited the poor, nursed the sick and taught children, with no payment, but supported by benefactors or parishioners. During the devastating famine of 1739 she begged the authorities to come to the rescue of the hungry.

In the houses of providence the Sisters lived with orphans, the aged, and the handicapped. At the general hospitals at La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...

, or at Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....

 in Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...

 their services were hired to introduce a minimal level of peace, joy and order to the prevailing filth and disorder.

Last years and death

When she was 66 years old, Marie Louise undertook a long journey on horseback to visit all her communities, talk with the Sisters and inspire them. She always told the Sisters: "Your real Superior is Mary; I am but her servant." That was her last trip, for upon returning to the Mother House at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Pilgrimage:Some 25,000 visitors per year arrive at the town, for it is the burial place of two well known Roman Catholic figures: Saint Louis de Montfort andBlessed Marie Louise Trichet...

 she never left again. An accidental fall caused her months of suffering, followed by a final illness from which she did not recover. On her deathbed she called a benefactor to beg that the poor of the parish be cared for, after her death.

Marie Louise Trichet died at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Pilgrimage:Some 25,000 visitors per year arrive at the town, for it is the burial place of two well known Roman Catholic figures: Saint Louis de Montfort andBlessed Marie Louise Trichet...

 in Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...

 on April 28, 1759, the same day and location where Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....

 had died 43 years earlier on April 28, 1716.

On her death, the congregation included 174 sisters distributed in 36 communities and the Mother House. After their persecution (for being Catholic) during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

 the Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

 regrouped and grew again. They were awarded medals by the governments of France, Spain, Prussia, and Belgium for nursing the wounded or plague-stricken soldiers of those countries on many occasions.

Legacy and beatification

Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....

 and Marie-Louise de Jésus rest in adjacent tombs in the church of Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Pilgrimage:Some 25,000 visitors per year arrive at the town, for it is the burial place of two well known Roman Catholic figures: Saint Louis de Montfort andBlessed Marie Louise Trichet...

. Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

 has since grown into a multi-national organization.

On May 16, 1993, Marie-Louise de Jésus (Trichet) was beatified by Pope John-Paul II who was a follower of Montfort. In the process of examining her life prior to beatification, one cardinal wrote of her:
"She offers an example of how to work for the development of the whole human person in a spirit of sacrifice, looking for no reward, ever open to read the signs of the times with a serene and humble spirit."


On September 19, 1996, Pope John-Paul II came to meditate and pray on the tombs of St. Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....

 and Blessed Marie-Louise de Jésus in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Pilgrimage:Some 25,000 visitors per year arrive at the town, for it is the burial place of two well known Roman Catholic figures: Saint Louis de Montfort andBlessed Marie Louise Trichet...

.

See also

Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....



Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK