Our Founder
Brief History Of St. Montfort
St.Louis Marie Grignion De Montfort was born on 31stof January 1673 in a small village in Brittany in Western France. His father was a noble man and lawyer, but the large family was poor, as 17th century France was passing through a grave crisis, economic as well as social. Wars between European Countries had depleted the national treasury. Poverty and disease became endemic. Added to this 95% of population was illiterate. The French Revolution that was to come almost a century later was already brewing.
It was in this atmosphere, charged with tension that St.Louis Marie De Montfort founded the congregation for the Brothers to impart education to illiterate in France. Not many were willing to follow this stern, austere and maverick saint. When he died on the 28th April 1716, there were only five brothers. When the revolution broke out in the 1790’s Montfortian Institutions were only a handful and the members were discouraged. They decided to launch outside France to Belgium, Switzerland and Italy in 1886. They crossed the Atlantic and established Institutions in Canada.
The Montfortian saga in India began on the 11th of September 1903. Three French Brothers landed in the French colony of Pondicherry. The first Montfortian Institution was started at Tindivanam. This was a Technical Institution. It is still in existence and flourishing.
It was not until the end of the First World War that the first Montfort English Medium School was started on the Shevroy hills Yercaud in Salem Dt. From 1903 to 2009, Montfortian Institutions grew in India from one to nearly 160 and are now spread over 18 States and Union territories, literally from North to South and East to West. Montfortian Institutions have spread over thirty-two countries from Canada, Columbia, Peru to Fiji and the Tonga Island in the Pacific.
St.Louis Montfort was an extremely versatile man. He was a philosopher, writer, poet, musician, artist, sculptor, choreographer, builder and social reformer. The Montfortian philosophy is, therefore one of the totality, globality and universality-terms that are very relevant in today’s world. The Montfortian system, therefore aims at “total education”-the development of body, mind and spirit so that a Montfortian student can have “fullness” in the life and Be a useful citizen to the country, a faithful and loving person to his family, friends and a fulfilled contented human being.
