Louis (Spanish Luis) Bertrán was born on January 1, 1526 at Valencia to the noble Valencian Bertrán family — cousin of St. Vincent Ferrer OP (1350–1419, see his existing entry). At the age of 18 (1544), Louis entered the Dominican Order at the Convent of Saint Dominic at Valencia.
Louis became famous during his youth for his preaching, personal asceticism, and mystical-ecstatic experiences. During the Valencian plague of 1557, Louis personally served the plague victims — the ministry that shaped his missionary vocation.
In 1562, at the age of 36, Louis undertook the vocation of missionary to the Spanish colonial territories of Nueva Granada (modern Colombia). For the 7 years (1562–1569), Louis traveled across the Colombian territory — undertaking the systematic evangelization of the indigenous peoples of the Colombian Caribbean coast (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbaco), the Colombian Andean highlands, and the Panamá isthmus.
Louis became famous during his Colombian missionary years for the reported miraculous gift of tongues — being understood by multiple indigenous language groups without interpreter, in institutional parallel with the apostolic Pentecost gift of tongues.
Louis baptized documented tens of thousands of indigenous South Americans during his 7-year Colombian ministry. He became a personal correspondent and supporter of Bartolomé de Las Casas OP (the famous defender of the rights of the indigenous American peoples) — producing the Dominican missionary tradition of advocacy for indigenous rights.
In 1569 Louis returned to Spain — serving as Master of Novices at Valencia and Prior of Valencia. He died at Valencia on October 9, 1581 at the age of 55.