Feast of St. Louis
The Feast of St. Louis, celebrated on August 25, commemorates Louis IX, a prominent king of France who lived from 1214 to 1270. Known for his strong commitment to justice, charity, and his devout Christian faith, Louis IX was popular among his subjects and left a lasting legacy through his dedication to both governance and spiritual matters. Born into royalty, he ascended to the throne at a young age after his father's death, with his mother serving as regent during his early years. His reign is marked by significant developments, including the construction of iconic Gothic architecture and the founding of the Sorbonne, a renowned educational institution.
Louis IX also participated in the Crusades, aiming to reclaim the Holy Land, which ultimately led to his death during the Eighth Crusade. His pious lifestyle and impactful reign resulted in his canonization as St. Louis just a few years after his passing, solidifying his status as a revered figure in both religious and historical contexts. The Feast of St. Louis serves as an opportunity for reflection on his life and contributions to society, making it an important date in the liturgical calendar for many Christians.
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Feast of St. Louis
Feast of St. Louis
Louis IX, the Crusader King who died on August 25, 1270, and was canonized in 1297, was one of France's greatest and most popular monarchs. Born in Poissy, France, on April 25, 1214, he inherited the throne when his father Louis VIII died in 1226. Since the new king was still a boy, his mother, Blanche of Castile, was made regent and ruled until 1234, when he came of age. Blanche reared her son carefully, giving him a thorough religious education. Even after Louis assumed the full prerogatives of the throne, she continued to act as his adviser, and when he went off to the Crusades she again ruled for him.
Highly regarded for his justice and charity, Louis was a popular king. He respected the rights of his subjects, whether peasants or nobles. Louis fed beggars from his table, often washing their feet, and ministered to lepers. Austere with himself, he was extremely affable to others. Louis's friend and biographer Jean de Joinville wrote, “Often I have seen the good King, after Mass, go to the wood at Vincennes, sit down at the foot of an oak tree and there listen to all who had to speak to him.”
Although he was a devout man, Louis did not neglect his duties as king, and France enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity under his rule. Some of the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture standing today were built during his reign. These include the cathedrals at Chartres, Amiens, Beauvais, and Bourges. Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, containing some of the world's most beautiful stained-glass windows, was built on Louis's personal order. He was also responsible for the formation of the first French navy. Under his patronage Robert de Sorbon, friend and chaplain to Louis, founded the first endowed college now known as the Sorbonne as part of the University of Paris.
The Crusades, started in the 11th century to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims, continued throughout Louis's lifetime and led to his death. In 1244 a treaty with Damascus returned Palestine to the Christians, but that same year allied Egyptian and Turkish forces captured Jerusalem and drove out the Christians. Louis, recovering from a serious illness, determined to lead a crusade to help the beleaguered Christian rulers recapture the Holy Land. In 1248, after lengthy preparations, he set forth on what was to be the Seventh Crusade. Captured in 1250, Louis was ransomed and remained in Asia Minor to strengthen Christian fortifications in Caesarea and Joppa.
He returned to France in 1254 after news of his mother's death in 1252 reached him. Louis ruled France for 16 more years. Then, on July 1, 1270, he joined the Eighth Crusade, which was aborted by his death from the plague on August 25, 1270, near Tunis. Louis had lived what was considered to be such a holy life that within three years of his death it was proposed that he be canonized. The inquiries into his worthiness continued until 1297, when Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed him to be St. Louis and fixed August 25, the day of his death, as his feast day.