“The greatness of Louise de Marillac can never be understood until this false image of a timid, dour, drab and cheerless woman has been put aside… her nature was outgoing, her life given over to people. She was a creature of love and she loved with all the ardor of a warm heart.

These affirmations of Joseph I. Dirvin, one of the more recent and more serious biographers of Louise de Marillac, introduce us to one of the most outstanding and yet least commented upon facets of her character: her tenderness.”

– Louise de Marillac: a bold and creative woman by Celestino Fernández, C.M.