St. Louis de Montfort's Way:
Total Consecration
Background: Always a pious child and especially devoted to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, when
the brilliant St. Louis de Montfort (A.D. 31 January 1673 - 28 April 1716) reached the age of 19, he gave
away all he had and resolved to live on alms. He was ordained a priest in Paris, worked for some time as a
hospital chaplain, but then came to devote his time to preaching -- a task he was extremely gifted at. He
went on to found the Daughters of Wisdom -- an Order devoted to hospital work and educating poor girls
-- and the Company of Mary (the Montfort Fathers), a missionary group of priests. It was his devotion to
Mary, though, for which he is most remembered.

St. Louis de Montfort's method of devotion is known as "Total Consecration," "True Devotion," or "Holy
Slavery." This method is below, with on-site links to all the necessary literature and prayers.
        Step 1:
    Read"True Devotion to
    the Blessed Virgin Mary"


First, read "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin," written by St. Louis de Montfort himself and
decide for certain whether to consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary. Read carefully, and
don't take this lightly; consecrating oneself has the character of a vow.
    Step 2:
        Choose a day
    for the Consecration

Now choose the date of a Marian Feast on which to make the consecration. Whichever Feast you
choose will determine the date to begin a 33-day period of spiritual preparation, i.e., you follow spiritual
exercises for 33 days, and the next day will be the Marian Feast on which you consecrate yourself.
Start of 33-day Plan
Marian Feast You've Chosen
Feast /Consecration Day
9 Jan
Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary at Lourdes
11 Feb
20 Feb (see Note 1)
The Annunciation
25 Mar
13 Jun
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
16 Jul
13 Jul
The Assumption
15 Aug
6 Aug
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
8 Sep
13 Aug
Our Lady of Sorrows
15 Sep
19 Oct
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
21 Nov
5 Nov
Immaculate Conception
8 Dec
9 Nov
Our Lady of Guadalupe
12 Dec
Note 1: 21 Feb when February has 29 days. The Feast of the Annunciation is the Feast that St.
Louis de Montfort recommends most of all as it is this Feast that commemorates God Himself
taking on flesh and, thereby, subjecting even Himself to trust in and dependency on Our Lady
Yellow Highlighted dates above will be used at the National Shrine
Calendar