Saint Frances de Sales

"Saint Frances de Sales was born on August 21, 1567 to an aristocratic family at the castle of Sales in the Duchy of Savoy, France. Since childhood, he desired to serve God and knew he had a vocation to the priesthood, but he kept it from his family. At the age of 25, he obtained his doctorate in law at the University of Padua, but the next year, he refused a senatorship and gave up law to become a Priest. Francis was ordained at Savoy in 1593, and after that, he began intense missionary work in Chablais, a district that had broken away from Savoy and had become Calvinist. 

Francis' ministry was not well received by the Calvinists at first. In fact, most of them wouldn't even talk to him. As such, Francis turned to the tactic of writing pamphlets that he would slip under the door of the people of the town. These tracts were later collected into a book called 'The Catholic Controversy.' During four years filled with hardships and having faced repeated threats to his life, Francis converted over seventy thousand Calvinists. The widespread success of his labors and the evident sanctity of his life now led to his appointment as Bishop-Coadjutor in 1599. In 1602, Bishop Granier died, and Francis was consecrated Bishop of Geneva, although he continued to reside in Annecy. At his insistence, his household, food, and dress were reduced to the simplest to enable him to help the needy. 

Francis preached wherever he went, reformed religious communities, and formulated simple catechetical instruction for the young and the old. In 1610, he assisted the future Saint Jane de Chantal in establishing the women's Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. His inspiring letters to her became a source of spiritual formation for the women of her newly founded order. He wrote masterpieces of spiritual guidance, such as Introduction to the Devout Life, Treatise on the Love of God, and Spiritual Conferences. Francis believed that people could achieve sanctity irrespective of their state of life. He wanted to be a hermit, but he was more in demand than ever. After nine years as a priest and twenty years as a bishop, Bishop de Sales suffered a stroke and died on December 28, 1622. In 1923, Pope Pius XI named St. Francis de Sales the patron saint of Catholic writers and the Catholic press because of the tracts and books he wrote. He is also the patron saint of the deaf and educators. 

St Francis de Sales, you helped your flock to more fully love God by fulfilling His will in their lives; obtain for us the grace to embrace our vocation and lead a saintly life."

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.