Part of a Series on Vincentian Heritage Places

Married Years – 2 Homes in Saint-Sauveur Parish (Places 4 and 5)

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In 1619, Louise lived on rue Cour-au-Villain, sometimes spelled rue Courtau villain or rue Court Villain (today, part of rue de Montmorency between rue Beaubuorg and rue du Temple) and from 1623-1626 she lived near the corner of Rue du Temple and Rue Rambuteau. These two places are shown as number 4 and 5 on the map above.

“In October, the couple had their only child, Michel. Louise grew to love Antoine and was an attentive mother to their son. Along with being devoted to her family, Louise was also active in ministry in her parish. She had a leading role in the Ladies of Charity, an organization of wealthy women dedicated to assisting those suffering from poverty and disease.

Around 1621, Louise’s husband Antoine contracted a chronic illness and eventually became bedridden. Louise nursed and cared for him and their child.” Antoine died in 1625.

Marriage of her son, birth of granddaughter
“Michel-Antoine Le Gras, the son of Louise de Marillac and Antoine Le Gras, married Gabrielle Le Clerc on January 18, 1650, at the Church of Saint-Sauveur (Saint Sauveur). The marriage contract for this ceremony was witnessed by Saint Vincent de Paul. In early 1651, Louise-Renée was born to Michele-Antoine and Gabrielle, Louise’s only grandchild.”
(Source: Wikipedia)

“She applied herself from the first years to visiting the poor sick of the parish where she lived. She herself gave them broths and remedies, made their beds, instructed them and consoled them by her exhortations, disposed them to receive the sacraments, and buried them after their death. And the Saint Saviour parish, among others, where she was living when her husband died, was the witness and object of all these acts of charity.” (Source: The Life of Mademoiselle Le Gras. By Monsieur Gobillon, Parish Priest of Saint-Laurent, p. 4)

“Saint Sauveur (Holy Savior)… was Louise’s parish church on three occasions: from 1604 to 1613 while she was living under the guidance of her uncle Michel de Marillac; in 1619 when she lived with her husband and son on Rue Courteau Vilain (Rue Montmorency); and lastly from 1623 to 1626 (corner of Rue du Temple and Rue Rambuteau). Vincent lived near them in the Gondi residence on the Rue Pavée from 1616 to 1625 or 1626 and, by 1623, had met Louise de Marillac. Madame de Miramion (see above) also lived in the parish. Louise’s son, Michel, was married here to Gabrielle Le Clerc (18 January 1650). Although ultimately unsuccessful, the first group of Ladies of Charity in Paris also began in this parish (1629), and the pioneer Daughter of Charity, Marguerite Naseau, served it briefly in 1631. The second house of the Daughters of Charity was founded in this parish. Holy Savior church stood until 1787 when it was demolished to make way for a larger replacement. The Revolution, however, put an end to those plans. (183, rue Saint Denis, and 2, 4 and 4 bis, rue Saint Sauveur, Paris 1) Its baptismal font, however, was relocated to the church of Saint Elisabeth. (195, rue du Temple, Paris 3) Nothing remains of the homes of the Marillacs, the Gondis or Madame de Miramion.” (Source: In the Footsteps of Vincent de Paul: A Guide to Vincentian France by John E. Rybolt C.M.)

Louise lived on rue Court Villain (red), nearby Saint Nicolas des Champs church (yellow), Saint Sauveur church (green) and Louise’s other house (1623-1626) (blue)

Saint-Sauveur church, Paris (now destroyed). It was here that the first Confraternity of Charity was formed in Paris, and the first Daughter of Charity, Marguerite Naseau, worked here. Depaul image archive.

Some of the medieval buildings remain in neighborhoods such as the Marais. Wikinade, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Above: The site of Louise’s house on Rue de Montmorency, as it looks today.

All Vincentian Places in this Series

Red = Vincent de Paul, Blue = Frederic Ozanam, Teal = Elizabeth Seton, Yellow = Louise de Marillac

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