08/25/2026
Our Saint of the Week is St. Louis IX, King of France, whose feast we celebrate today. At his coronation as king of France, Louis IX bound himself by oath to behave as God’s anointed, as the father of his people and feudal lord of the King of Kings. Other kings had done the same, of course. Louis was different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in the light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns, he brought peace and justice. Louis “took the cross” for a Crusade when he was 30. His army seized Damietta in Egypt but not long after, they were surrounded and captured. Louis obtained the release of the army by giving up the city in addition to paying a ransom. Louis also helped reform the justice system in France. He replaced trial by battle with a form of examination of witnesses and encouraged the use of written records in court. Louis was devoted to his people, founding hospitals, visiting the sick, and caring even for people with leprosy. Louis united France—lords and townsfolk, peasants and priests and knights—by the force of his personality and holiness. For many years the nation was at peace. Every day, Louis had 13 special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. He kept lists of needy people, whom he regularly relieved, in every province of his dominion. Disturbed by new Muslim advances, Louis led another crusade to North Africa in 1270. Within a month of their landing at Carthage, the army camp was decimated by disease. Louis himself died there at the age of 56. He was canonized 27 years later.
