St. Louis Bertrand's Crucifix-Pistol and a Snake-filled Chalice*

SAN LUIS BELTRÁN (1526-1581): Patron of All Dominican Novices | Feast Day: October 9

St. Louis was born in Valencia, Spain on January 1, 1526. He was baptized on the very day of his birth, at the very same font where his distant relative St. Vincent Ferrer received the sacrament a century and a half before him. In Medieval times, it is a big deal if you are baptized at the same font of a saint. Both saints share the same vocation as Dominicans. St. Louis was exceptionally pious as a child, reciting daily the Office of Our Lady and attending different churches in order to conceal from the knowledge of others his frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.

He received the Dominican habit, against the wishes of his parents, at the age of 19 and was ordained before he was 22. Not many years after, he was appointed Novice Master, which office he fulfilled with so much zeal, prudence, virtue, self-denial and penance. The Order of Preachers considers him to be the Patron of All its Novitiates and Formation Personnel for furnishing his novices and personnel a perfect model for their imitation.

On fire with love for the salvation of all men, Saint Louis volunteered for the foreign missions and was eventually sent to Latin America. There he labored indefatigably for over seven years among the most savage and hostile Indian tribes of Colombia, Venezuela, the West Indies and possibly southern Florida. Though totally ignorant of the language if these people, he was able to convert numerous numbers through the miraculous gift of tongues. His preaching was accompanied by many miracles and prophecies. He once raised a girl to life by the application of a Rosary and often attributed to Our Lady the miraculous powers he manifested. He returned to Spain and resumed his duties as Novice Master and won the esteem and friendship of Saint Teresa of Avila. Later, he served as Prior of various houses.

Mazzolini Artcraft worked with partner Art Studio Demetz of Ortisei, Italy, on an original statue of St. Louis Bertrand for St. Louis Bertrand Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Louis was a Spanish Dominican who became known as the “Apostle to the Americas” and the patron saint of novitiates.

St. Louis was a Dominican renowned for preaching against corruption in his native Spain. In Spain, a local politician became furious with his sermon and approached him after the Mass. Pulling out a pistol, the man attempted to assassinate St. Louis. But St. Louis made the sign of the cross and the pistol became a crucifix.

In South America, where he preached against injustice to the natives, some pagan religious leaders tried to poison him, but after making the sign of the cross over the chalice, snakes were revealed, meaning it was poisoned, and his life was spared. In some iconography, a dragon is used instead of snakes.

The celebrated Dominican preacher died on October 9, 1581 after suffering a long and painful illness. Many prodigies accompanied his passing. During the process of his beatification, witnesses testified that shortly after his death a heavenly perfume arose from his body, and that a light, which glowed for several minutes, proceeded from his mouth and illuminated his whole cell, and that seraphic music was heard in the church before his funeral. St. Louis was canonized by Pope Clement X on the same day as St. Rose of Lima, April 12, 1671.

Our mission in life may be challenging but God provides more than what we ask for like what happened to St. Louis Bertrand.