 |
| Saint Louis Bertrand, OP |
Louis Bertrand was born in Valencia, Spain, on January 1, 1526. As a young man, he wanted to become a Dominican friar, although his parents initially opposed his decision. His determination endured, and in 1544 he received the Dominican habit. Prayer, study, and penance became the foundations of his life. Ordained a priest in 1547, he was later entrusted with forming young men entering the Order.
As master of novices, Louis sought to prepare friars whose lives would support the Gospel they preached. He called them to discipline and holiness, reminding them that the fruit of preaching belonged to God. His own ministry extended beyond the convent. During the plague in Valencia in 1557, he cared for the sick and dying, prepared the dead for burial, and buried them with his own hands.
In 1562, Louis sailed to the Americas to serve as a missionary in New Granada, in what is now Colombia. For seven years, he preached and instructed people in the Catholic faith, working despite fragile health and difficult conditions. His mission brought him into conflict with Spanish colonists whose treatment of Indigenous people contradicted the Gospel he proclaimed. He defended those people’s rights against their oppressors.
Louis returned to Spain in 1569. Once again, he served as a superior and master of novices, bringing his missionary experience back into the work of forming Dominican friars. He also maintained correspondence with Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John de Ribera. Those who knew him remembered a man of austere habits whose seriousness was accompanied by gentleness. After a long and painful illness, he died in Valencia on October 9, 1581, aged fifty-five.
Pope Clement X canonized Louis in 1671. Honored as a patron of Colombia and of Dominican novices and formation personnel, he is celebrated on October 9. His life united the quiet work of forming souls in the convent with the demanding work of carrying the Gospel overseas.
For your own devotion, purchase an image here: Maryvale Catholic press
