Mariology of The Saints - How The Saints Contributed To Mariology

How The Saints Contributed To Mariology

Beyond the teachings of the early Church Fathers, the growth of Mariology over the centuries has been shaped by the interplay not only of theologians but also of three other forces:

• Papal directives and teachings of the Holy See, based largely on the work of theologians.
• Popular Catholic sentiments, devotions.
• Views, writings and religious experiences of saints, theologians and non-theologians.

During the priesthood of Saint Louis de Montfort, which was only 16 years, he was mostly a missionary preacher who travelled from village to village on foot to deliver sermons, often risking everything along the way. His fervent style of preaching and views were often the subject of serious criticism during his life. He was persecuted by the Holy Office, poisoned by critical locals and when he died in 1716 at age 43, each of the three congregations he left behind had but a handful of followers. When Blessed Marie Louise Trichet decided to join his religious institute, the Daughters of Wisdom, in 1700, her mother reportedly told her: "You will become as mad as that priest". Yet, over the centuries, de Montfort's Marian theological books, such as True Devotion to Mary and Secret of the Rosary, gathered a strong following among Catholics and in time influenced millions of people. The growth of his popularity and the spread of his approach of "total consecration to the Virgin Mary" was not driven from Rome but nevertheless gathered momentum. He was eventually declared a saint in 1947.

In recent years, one young seminarian who was affected by one of de Montfort's books said that he had "read and reread many times and with great spiritual profit" a work of de Montfort and it "had been a decisive turning point in his life". That young seminarian eventually became Pope John Paul II, based his personal motto "Totus Tuus" on de Montfort's influence, beatified Marie Louise Trichet and made a papal visit to pray at the tombs of Saint Louis and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet. Saint Louis is now a candidate to become a Doctor of the Church and his founder's statue was recently placed in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.