St. Jane Frances de Chantal, who later became the first Mother Superior and the founder of the Order of the Visitation, was born on January 28, 1572, in Dijon, France, as the daughter of Benigne Fremyot and Margaret de Berbisey. At the tender age of 18 months, Jane's mother passed away. Her father, the head of parliament in Dijon, France, took on the role of guiding her education. Jane flourished into a woman admired for her elegance and cheerful temperament. At 21 years old, she married Baron de Chantal, with whom she bore six children. Sadly, three of these children passed away in infancy.
Within her castle, Jane reinstated the practice of daily Mass and enthusiastically participated in numerous charitable endeavors. In 1601, the Baron was killed in a hunting accident, and she became a widow at 28. For seven years, she was forced to live in her father-in-law's house, a trial which she was forced to bear patiently due to his animosity towards her. It was during this time that she took a vow of perpetual chastity.
Tormented by deep-seated anxiety about discerning God's will, Jane eventually found solace under the guidance of St. Francis de Sales, the Bishop of Geneva. In him, she recognized the spiritual guide who had been revealed to her, and she willingly placed herself under his counsel. Although she aspired to become a nun, St. Francis de Sales convinced her to postpone this choice.
In 1610, she relocated to Annecy due to her conviction that God was summoning her to establish an order. This order was intended for women and girls who felt a vocation to embrace a life of Christian purity but were hesitant about adopting the stringent ascetic practices prevalent during that time. Thus, on June 6, 1610, Trinity Sunday, the Congregation of the Visitation was canonically founded at Annecy. The Visitation nuns adhered to St. Francis' method of achieving spiritual perfection. This approach centered on maintaining a constant alignment between one's will and the Divine will. It entailed embracing one's soul, heart, and desires and then entrusting them to God's care. Additionally, it encompassed an ongoing effort to carry out actions that align with what pleases Him.
St. Jane de Chantal bore interior crosses, especially during the final nine years of her life, that left her in deep spiritual torment. This distress of the soul persisted until three months before her death. She died at the age of sixty-nine, on December 13, 1641, after serving most of her time as Mother Superior of the Convent of Annecy. Many miracles have been attributed to her prayers, and many more have occurred since her death. Pope Clement XIII canonized her on July 16, 1767.
St. Jane Frances de Chantal, obtain for us the grace to fulfill the divine calling we have received from God.
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