St. Francis de Sales - the Gentleman Saint

Doctor of the Church

Feast Day - January 24th

Bishop of Geneva, Patron Saint of Catholic Writers.

He was born on August 21, 1567. To give you some reference on an historical timeline, St Francis was almost an exact contemporary of William Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 -1616. Martin Luther died 20 years before Francis was born, and Calvin died just 3 years before. Francis’s life and work were significantly affected by the French rulers, Catherine de Medici; Henry III, who was assassinated in 1589; and Henry IV, who ended the civil and religious wars before he, too, was assassinated in 1610. It was an unpeaceful, violent age into which Francis came to preach pardon and peace. The Church was on the defensive, suffering such things as confiscation of property, the outlawing of mass, the expulsion of priests from certain areas, and the suppression of religious orders. Many of its members were lured away by evil heresies, and those who stayed faithful suffered greatly. Francis de Sales was to become an active - and extremely vital - participant in the Counter Reformation which sought to nurse the Church, and ultimately the world, back to health again.
Francis de Sales was born, as I mentioned, in August of 1567, in Thorens at Savoy. Savoy, a powerful duchy, was somewhat of an independent state at the time, but was eventually, nearly three centuries later, in 1860, incorporated into France. Francis’s father, Seigneur Francois de Sales de Boisy was a fine soldier and skilled diplomat, a devoted husband, and a fair lord of his manor - strong willed and very faithful to his Catholic heritage. Francis’s mother, Francoise, came from a wealthy family, and brought into the marriage as her dowry the de Boisy estate. She had a gracious and practical faith, and would be a tender and understanding guide to Francis, her first child. Francis was the oldest of 7 children (6 boys and 1 girl). The siblings would get so boisterous sometimes in their disagreements that their father would hold court in the kitchen to settle their squabbles.
Francis was well schooled. At the age of 6, he was sent to a boy’s school called the College de la Roche (boy’s schools at that time were often named “colleges”). That was followed by the College of Annecy, then, at the age of 13, the Jesuit College of Clermont at the University of Paris. Years later, Francis wrote in regard to his studies, “In Paris, I studied many things to please my father, and theology to please myself.”
Francis’s father was grooming him to bring greater honor, to the family name, by becoming a lawyer. Those demands on Francis were in conflict with his belief that he had a vocation to the priesthood. This struggle, combined with Francis’s confusion brought on by Calvin’s heresy regarding predestination, caused Francis great stress. Our sensitive saint was plagued with a certainty that he was destined, by God, for damnation. What a terrible, horrific fear to take hold of one’s heart! It is believed that Francis endured this conflict for several weeks. It ended with heartfelt prayer before the Blessed Virgin Mary, at a church in Paris. Francis prayed to God, “If I may not love you in the other world - for in hell, no one praises you - then let me at least spend every moment of my brief life here in loving you as much as I can!” With these words, a simple act of unrestrained love of God, his torment ended. Francis continued in his studies at the University of Padua, and at the age of 25, he received the degree of doctor of laws. As the provost conferred the degree upon Francis, he said to him, “Like the fountain of Arethusa, which mingles its water with the salt sea without losing its sweetness, you have lived in the midst of a voluptuous city and preserved your innocence.”
Upon his return home, Francis had to overcome the most challenging hurdle in his desire to become a priest, and that was his father’s plans for him. His father immediately transferred one of the family titles to his son - that of Seigneur de Vilalroget - and pushed Francis to take the necessary steps to join the Savoy senate. There was also much talk of a betrothal, but Francis was able to stall for awhile, before finally breaking the news to his father that he was being called - by a higher power! - to a rather different vocation. At first, his father was angry, and nearly inconsolable, but, as often happens, God stepped in to clear a path. Francis was recommended by his cousin, Canon Louis de Sales, to fill a vacancy which had just come to be in the Cathedral Chapter at Annecy. Francis was appointed dean of the Cathedral Chapter, an honorable position that eased his father’s disappointment.
With some of the old, informal medieval procedures still sometimes in use in the Church at the time, Francis was able to go through the steps of minor orders, sub-deacon, deacon, and ordination to the priesthood in just 6 months! Some of the haste was also due, in large part, to the already apparent holiness of this man, as well as his mastery of theology and philosophy. In a brief retreat prior to his ordination, Francis made a promise to - in his own words - make “every moment of every day a preparation for tomorrow’s mass, so that should someone ask me, ‘What are you doing at this moment?’ I could truly answer, ‘Preparing to celebrate Mass!’”
Within 18 months of his ordination, Fr. Francis volunteered to go to one of the highly protestantized areas from which priests had been exiled, to serve and re-evangelize the persecuted Catholics there. He, and his cousin Canon Louis de Sales, left for Chablais in September of 1594. Their first successes in bringing Catholics back to the faith were with the Catholic soldiers in the fortress they were forced to reside in, for fear of their safety. In visits to nearby Thonon, the capital of Chablais, which was nearly 14 miles round trip, Francis would search out the frightened Catholics, administer the sacraments, and preach to the small groups he was able to gather.
When winter set in, Fr. de Sales faced very treacherous travel to and from Thonon, one time almost freezing to death in a tree he had climbed to escape the wolves. Most of the time, the “wolves” were in the form of resentful Calvinists, who did their best to silence his message and slander his name. Their Calvinist followers were forbidden to even listen to anything Fr. Francis had to say. But Francis de Sales was ahead of his time! He made leaflets and posters with simple explanations of Catholic doctrines, and had each one copied many times - by hand of course! These teachings were then posted and distributed all around Thonon, so that those who might be afraid to listen to Fr. de Sales’ message would be able to discreetly read his leaflets. These teachings were later published in one volume called Controversies.
Francis had much success with his efforts. Catholics who had just about given up on their faith returned to it, and those who had stood courageously for the truth were encouraged by the growing numbers of the faithful. By Lent of 1595, 17 months after arriving in Chablais, it was finally safe enough in the city of Thonon for Francis to move closer to those he was serving. He was then able to begin celebrating daily mass in the Chapel of St. Stephen. (Try to imagine what a tremendous blessing this must have been to the Catholics of that area!). The courageous and eloquent Fr. Francis even managed to convert a group of hit men who were hired by some of the more overly-zealous Calvinists who wished to simply do away with him. St. Francis persuaded every one of the men to convert to the Catholic faith! (And that would be why the Calvinists forbid their followers to listen to Fr. de Sales! Francis knew the truth, and he spoke it boldly with eloquence and love.)
Francis continued in Thonon for a few more years, while his father constantly begged him to return home, and his mother secretly sent him financial support. Through Fr. Francis’s efforts, in 1598 the faithful of Chablais saw, for the first time in 63 years, the administering of the sacraments of confirmation and ordination. Healing was truly taking place for these previously persecuted Catholics, and their hearts were filled with hope.
As things in Thonon began to calm down, Francis did return to his family for a visit. While there, he was struck with a mysterious illness, from which he almost died. Could it have had anything to do with the writing he was doing on demons and exorcisms? Whatever the cause, he recovered under the loving and constant care of his mother. He then traveled to Rome to be examined by Pope Clement, to find out if Fr. Francis was worthy of the title of bishop. After a bit of a delay, believed to be at the request of Francis himself, he was consecrated Bishop of Geneva on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1602.
As bishop, he accepted an invitation in 1604 from the mayor of Dijon, to preach a course of sermons for the Lenten season. While in Dijon, Bishop Francis de Sales met Jane de Chantal, the widowed daughter of the mayor. Both Bishop Francis and Jane de Chantal knew that something extraordinary would come from their meeting and ensuing friendship. At their first sight of each other, there was instant recognition from the visions they had each had of the other. So began Fr. Francis’s ministry of personal spiritual direction. Luckily for us, most of St. Francis’s spiritual guidance in the coming years was done in writing, and so spelled out clearly for us the essence of Salesian spirituality.
From these letters of council to Madame de Chantal, to his mother, and to other women who came to Bishop de Sales for spiritual direction, was born hismost well-known and well-loved book, Introduction to the Devout Life. It is evident in his writing that Bishop de Sales was highly influenced by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius - no doubt one of his favorite saints!
The first part of the “Introduction,” as this work is often called, feels like the start of an Ignatian retreat, as St. Francis bids us to begin the weeding and pruning of the garden of our souls. The 2nd part focuses on elevating the soul to God by prayer and the sacraments, followed by a section on the “Practice of Various Virtues.” All of the letters are addresses to Philothea - a feminine name which St Francis used to refer to the lover of God, or, the soul. Francis completes this work by encouraging Philothea to have courage and persevere in virtue. The Introduction to the Devout Life was so well received, it was remarkable. After almost instant resounding triumph in France, it was quickly translated into several other languages. It was, indeed, what the faithful had needed and longed for, and it most certainly fueled the fire of the Counter Reformation (also known as the Catholic Reform).
Bishop de Sales had one more dream - to found a religious community for women which would combine contemplative prayer with active service. (This was a new idea in his time, since most nuns lived in cloister, and did not leave to visit the sick or poor - or for any other reason.) Madam de Chantal suggested the name of the order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, an idea which the bishop liked better than his own idea of Daughters of Saint Martha. In 1610, Jane de Chantal joined a few other women for a year in novitiate, with the new order under the direction of Bishop Francis de Sales.
Jane was to be named the Mother Foundress of this new order, which soon found opposition to its goal of visiting the sick. People of the time were used to cloistered nuns, and even though Bishop de Sales and Madam de Chantal had the support of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, the Archbishop of Lyons would not allow a relaxed, uncloistered congregation in his archdiocese. St. Francis humbled himself and gave in to Archbishop de Marquemont’s demands. Mother de Chantal struggled with the decision a bit more than the bishop did, but, with the reorganization, the order spread quickly throughout France and into Italy.
St. Francis’s teachings to his new order would eventually be gathered into what many call his greatest work of literature - Treatise on the Love of God. Francis himself said that this was directed to those “advanced in devotion.” In these writings, he addresses his teaching to Theotimus - this time a masculine name so that people would not think his teachings to be directed only to women (which is what some people did think, with the Introduction to the Devout Life being addressed to Philothea). Theotimus represented “the human spirit desirous of making progress in holy love.”
In addition to the extensive amount of writing and traveling that St. Francis did, there are also many miracles attributed to him during his life. One of the most spectacular was the healing of a little girl. In 1616, Bishop de Sales received word of the death of a little girl - the granddaughter of a dear friend. The bishop immediately began to pray fervently for her. Those who were with the child reported that, in the very same hour when Francis had received the news and begun to pray, the little girl opened her eyes. She said she had seen and heard the “holy Papa of Geneva.” The girl grew up to enter the Order of the Visitation.
The good bishop continued to labor hard and travel often, despite his increasingly poor health. He could never say no to those who needed him. Near the end of his life, while traveling to Avignon, Francis stopped at a newly established Visitation convent. One of the young sisters met the bishop in tears, and, when asked why she was crying, she answered, “My Lord, it is because you will die this year!” She begged him to pray for his life, and promised that she would do the same. But the bishop told her that he was tired and so heavy he could barely carry himself. He had no wish to pray for healing. He assured the young sister that she was in good care with Mother de Chantal, and also with another dear friend of his who had recently taken the position of spiritual director of the Visitation order - Vincent de Paul.
St. Francis was ready to leave this world, and on Dec 26, 1622, after an extremely busy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day schedule, his strength finally gave out and he collapsed. He spent 2 days under the care of 17th century doctors and their archaic practice of bleeding their patients. He was in and out of consciousness, but finally, at nightfall on Dec 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, St. Francis said, “It is toward evening and the day is far spent.” Then he spoke the name of Jesus, and, at the age of 55, left behind the trials of this world.
Mother de Chantal, who had been blessed with a grace-filled peace at the passing of her beloved mentor, immediately began the work of having her dear friend’s sainthood (of which she had no doubt!) officially recognized by the Church. She gathered his written notes, sermons, conferences and letters to present, and also prepared her own depositions. In one she wrote, “...our dear Father never did anything for the sake of escaping hell, or of deserving heaven; he performed all his actions simply and solely for the love of God.”

Much to the credit of the heartfelt efforts of Mother de Chantal (who is, by the way, known to us today as St. Jane Francis de Chantal),Francis de Sales was canonized just 43 years after his death by Pope Alexander VII. He was later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.

Some quotes from St Francis de Sales, from a modern translation of the Introduction to the Devout Life:

Recall your spirit into the presence of God as often as you can in the course of the day. .... As the birds have their nests in trees, to which they may retire when they have need, so should our hearts choose some place every day, either on Mt. Calvary or in some other place near Him, as a retreat to which we may occasionally retire to refresh ....ourselves amid our exterior occupations. ...Blessed is the soul who can say to the Lord, “Thou art my place of strength and my refuge, my defense from storms, and my shadow from the heat.”
Your heart, dear friend, ought to be open only to heaven, and impenetrable to this world’s riches and all perishable things. If you have material things, keep your heart above them and free from the love of them. ...If you keep riches in your house or purse and not in your heart, you shall be rich indeed.
A prayer:
Most loving God, grant that as the Church of your Son hasmany members in one body, so after the teaching of your servant,Francis de Sales, each may follow that path of devotion whichis fitted to his calling, and by the power of your Spirit grow in holiness and love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who livesand reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.