Jan. 24, 2011 Tuesday: St. Francis de Sales
St. Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales was born in his family’s castle at Savoy, France, on August 21, 1567. Because he was born two months early, he was very weak as a baby. But he grew strong and healthy and was a very obedient and kind little boy.
Francis’s mother taught him to pray. She read the lives of the saints to him, and took him with her whenever she went out to visit the poor. He re-ceived a very good education. He studied at Annecy, and then went to Paris to attend the Jesuit College of Clermont. After this he went on to study law and theology at the University of Padua. By the age of twenty-four, Francis had already earned a doctorate in law.
Francis’s world was opening up to him with many promises of a successful career. But he felt called to the priesthood. It was hard to persuade his disappointed father, but Francis followed God’s call and became a priest on December 18, 1593.
He volunteered to go to Chablais to work as a missionary among many people who had left the Church and were very unfriendly toward priests. Even though some of these people tried to kill him, Father Francis continued working among them. His patience and kindness brought many back to the Church.
In 1602, Francis was made bishop of Geneva, Switzerland. He worked very hard to bring unity back to the Church at a time when there were many problems. He opened schools, taught and preached.
In 1604, Francis met a holy woman named Jane Frances de Chantal. (Jane later became a saint too.) He became her spiritual director, and in 1610 he helped her found the Order of the Visitation, a new order of sisters.
Francis de Sales wrote many wonderful books about God and the way to become closer to him. In these books Francis taught that holiness is possible in everyday life, and that God calls us all to become saints. Some of Francis’s books, like Introduction to the Devout Life, written in 1609, and Treatise on the Love of God, written in 1616, are still in print today.
Bishop Francis de Sales died in Lyons, France, on December 28, 1622. He was fifty-six years old. Pope Innocent X declared Francis a saint in 1665. Because of his heroic dedication to the Church, he was given the special title “Doctor of the Church.” He is also the patron saint of journalists.
- Daughters of St. Paul
Francis de Sales was born in his family’s castle at Savoy, France, on August 21, 1567. Because he was born two months early, he was very weak as a baby. But he grew strong and healthy and was a very obedient and kind little boy.
Francis’s mother taught him to pray. She read the lives of the saints to him, and took him with her whenever she went out to visit the poor. He re-ceived a very good education. He studied at Annecy, and then went to Paris to attend the Jesuit College of Clermont. After this he went on to study law and theology at the University of Padua. By the age of twenty-four, Francis had already earned a doctorate in law.
Francis’s world was opening up to him with many promises of a successful career. But he felt called to the priesthood. It was hard to persuade his disappointed father, but Francis followed God’s call and became a priest on December 18, 1593.
He volunteered to go to Chablais to work as a missionary among many people who had left the Church and were very unfriendly toward priests. Even though some of these people tried to kill him, Father Francis continued working among them. His patience and kindness brought many back to the Church.
In 1602, Francis was made bishop of Geneva, Switzerland. He worked very hard to bring unity back to the Church at a time when there were many problems. He opened schools, taught and preached.
In 1604, Francis met a holy woman named Jane Frances de Chantal. (Jane later became a saint too.) He became her spiritual director, and in 1610 he helped her found the Order of the Visitation, a new order of sisters.
Francis de Sales wrote many wonderful books about God and the way to become closer to him. In these books Francis taught that holiness is possible in everyday life, and that God calls us all to become saints. Some of Francis’s books, like Introduction to the Devout Life, written in 1609, and Treatise on the Love of God, written in 1616, are still in print today.
Bishop Francis de Sales died in Lyons, France, on December 28, 1622. He was fifty-six years old. Pope Innocent X declared Francis a saint in 1665. Because of his heroic dedication to the Church, he was given the special title “Doctor of the Church.” He is also the patron saint of journalists.
- Daughters of St. Paul
