On Sunday, March 12, First Things contributor Bronwen McShea and editor R. R. Reno will be discussing McShea's new historical biography, La Duchesse: The Life of Marie de Vignerot—Cardinal Richelieu's Forgotten Heiress Who Shaped the Fate of France (Pegasus Books) at our offices in New York City.
La Duchesse tells the story of a remarkable woman of Golden Age France, a devoutly Catholic noblewoman who became her uncle's invaluable right-hand during his tenure as King Louis XIII's First Minister of State. McShea will explain what went into recovering Vignerot's story from historical records and what the Duchess's example has to teach us about the role members of the laity traditionally played in fostering a more Christian society and in helping the clerical hierarchy to govern and reform the Church.
Drinks and light fare will be provided.
RSVP here!
