1590-1660
March 15
Born in Auvergne, France, Louise married an official of the royal court, Antoine Le Gras. Following his death in 1625, and despite strained finances and bouts of melancholy, she was an active supporter of St. Vincent de Paul’s charitable works and became co-founder with him of the Daughters of Charity. She drew up the first draft of their rule. By the time of her death, the order had established 40 houses in France, and Daughters of Charity were looking after the sick poor in Parisian parishes and sheltering hundreds of women.