Saint Francis de Sales
Bishop of Geneva and author of the Introduction to the Devout Life.
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Bishop, Doctor of the Church
- Life
- 1567 – 1622
- Era
- 17th century
- Feast
- 24 January
- Countries
- France, Switzerland
Life story
Francis was born on 21 August 1567 at the château of Sales in Savoy, into a noble family. He studied in Paris and then law in Padua, earning his doctorate in 1591. He was ordained a priest in 1593, rather than following the public career his family expected. His father had hoped he would become a magistrate and had chosen a suitable bride for him.
From 1594 he worked as a missionary in the Chablais region around Lake Geneva, where most people were Calvinist. He travelled on foot through many villages, preaching, debating and writing short leaflets explaining Catholic teaching. In 1602 he was consecrated Bishop of Geneva; because the city of Geneva was Calvinist, the bishop's seat was at Annecy. His gentle manner and willingness to listen became hallmarks of his approach, and many people in the region returned to the Catholic Church during his years there.
He wrote the Introduction to the Devout Life (1609), a guide for laypeople living in ordinary circumstances, and the Treatise on the Love of God (1616). In 1610 he and Jane Frances de Chantal founded the Visitation order at Annecy, which at first welcomed even women in frail health who could not follow stricter orders. The Visitation sisters took their name from the visit of Mary to Elizabeth and focused on prayer and visiting the sick.
He died in Lyon on 28 December 1622 on the way back from a journey with the court of Savoy; his body was brought back to Annecy. He was canonised in 1665 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pius IX in 1877. In 1923 Pius XI named him patron of Catholic writers and journalists.
Works and witness
- Worked as a missionary in the Chablais from 1594.
- Was Bishop of Geneva from 1602, based at Annecy.
- Wrote the Introduction to the Devout Life (1609) and the Treatise on the Love of God (1616).
- Founded the Visitation order with Jane Frances de Chantal in 1610.
Patron of
Writers, Journalists
Saints from the same country
References
- Introduction to the Devout Life
- Treatise on the Love of God
- Martyrologium Romanum
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.