Francis de Sales, C.O., O.M. (; ; ; 21 August 1567 – 28 December 1622) was a Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva from 1602 to 1622. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God. He was canonized in 1665.

Life

Early years

Francis de Sales was born two months premature on 21 August 1567 in the Château de Sales into the noble Sales family of the Duchy of Savoy, in what is today Thorens-Glières, Haute-Savoie, France. His father was François de Sales, Lord of Sales, and Novel, and by marriage, de Boisy. His mother was a noblewoman, Françoise de Sionnaz, the only child of the prominent magistrate, Melchior de Sionnaz, Seigneur de Vallières, de la Thuile, and de Boisy. This being one of the noblest families in Savoy, Francis's father was generally known as M. de Boisy.

He was baptised Francis Bonaventura after his godparents, François de la Fléchère and Damoiselle Bonaventure de Chevron-Villette, who was also his widowed, maternal grandmother. His father wanted him, the first of his six sons, to attend the best schools in preparation for a career as a magistrate. He therefore enjoyed a privileged education in the nearby town of La Roche-Sur-Foron, and at the age of eight at the Capuchin college in Annecy.

Education and self-consecration

thumb|210px|left|Francis de Sales age 12

In 1578, de Sales went to the Collège de Clermont, then a Jesuit institution, to study rhetoric and humanities. On this first visit to Paris, he lived near the Église Sainte-Geneviève with his three cousins. As a nobleman, he was accompanied by his servant and by a priest tutor, Abbé Déage. To please his father, he took lessons in the gentlemanly pursuits of riding, dancing, and fencing. De Sales is described as intelligent and handsome, tall and well built with blue-grey eyes, somewhat reserved and quiet, and a welcome guest in the homes of the nobility among whom his father had connections.

In 1586, Francis de Sales attended a theological discussion about predestination that convinced him of his damnation to hell. A personal crisis of despair resulted. That conviction lasted through December 1586. His great despair made him physically ill and even bedridden for a time. Sometime in either late December or early January 1587, he visited the old parish of Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, Paris, where he prayed the "Memorare" before a famed statue of Our Lady of Good Deliverance, a Black Madonna. He consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and decided to dedicate his life to God with a vow of chastity. He was accompanied by his twelve-year-old brother, Gallois, also a student in Padua. De Sales took Antonio Possevino, a priest in the Society of Jesus, as his spiritual director.

Return to Savoy

thumb|210px|St Francis de Sales, by Giovanni Battista Lucini

In 1592, de Sales received his doctorate in law and theology and made up his mind to become a priest. He made a pilgrimage to Loreto, Italy, famous for its Basilica Della Santa Casa (Shrine of the Holy House) and then returned home to Savoy. As the eldest son and heir, he held the title of Seigneur de Villeroget. The Senate of Chambéry admitted him as a lawyer. Meanwhile, his father secured various positions for Francis, including an appointment as a senator. His father also chose a wealthy noble heiress as his bride, but Francis refused to marry, preferring to stay focused on his chosen path. His father initially refused to accept that Francis had chosen the priesthood rather than fulfill his expectations with a political-military career. His cousin, Canon Louis de Sales, persuaded the Bishop of Geneva, Claude de Granier, to obtain for Francis the position of provost of the cathedral chapter of Geneva, a post in the patronage of the pope. It was the highest office in the diocese; M. de Boisy yielded. After signing over to his younger brother, Louis, his title and right of succession, Francis was ordained in 1593.

While in Paris, he also met Cardinal Berulle and Madame Acarie. They consulted with him on matters such as the introduction of Teresa of Ávila's Carmelites into France and plans for the reforming of monasteries and convents. He was consulted on matters of conscience by persons at court.thumb|Arms of St Francis de Sales

Bishop of Geneva

In 1602, Bishop Granier died, and Sales was consecrated Bishop of Geneva by Vespasien Gribaldi, assisted by Thomas Pobel and Jacques Maistret, O.Carm., as co-consecrators. He resided in Annecy (now in France) because Geneva remained under Calvinist control and was therefore closed to him. His diocese became famous throughout Europe for its efficient organisation, zealous clergy and well-instructed laity, an achievement in those days.

He worked closely with the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, which was very active in preaching the Catholic faith in his diocese. It appreciated his cooperation so much that in 1617 it made him an official associate of the Order, the highest honour possible for a non-member. It is said that at Evian, on the south shore of Lake Geneva, Francis of Assisi appeared to him and said: "You desire martyrdom, just as I once longed for it. But, like me, you will not obtain it. You will have to become an instrument of your own martyrdom." During his years as bishop, de Sales acquired a reputation as a spellbinding preacher and something of an ascetic. His motto was, "He who preaches with love, preaches effectively." His goodness, patience and mildness became proverbial.

Founder

thumb|San Francisco de Sales, by [[Francisco Bayeu y Subías]]

thumb|300px|Francis de Sales and Jane Frances de Chantal, medal 1867

Along with Chantal, de Sales founded the women's Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in Annecy on 6 June 1610. Archbishop Denis-Simon de Marquemont required the order's members to maintain cloistered lives.

Sales also established a community of men, an Oratory of St. Philip Neri, at Thonon-les-Bains, with himself as the superior, or Provost. That work, however, was crippled by his death, and the community soon died out.

Death

In December 1622, de Sales was required to travel in the entourage of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, for the Duke's Christmas tour of his domain. Upon arrival in Lyon, de Sales chose to stay in the gardener's hut at the Visitandine monastery in that city. While there he suffered a stroke, from which he died on 28 December 1622.

Posthumous veneration

De Sales has been styled "Gentleman Saint" because of his patience and gentleness. Many miracles have been reported at his shrine.

His heart was kept in Lyon, in response to the popular demand of the citizens of the city to retain his remains. During the French Revolution, however, it was saved from the revolutionaries by being carried by the Visitation nuns from Lyon to Venice.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates de Sales' feast on 24 January, the day of his burial in Annecy in 1624. From 1666, when his feast day was inserted into the General Roman Calendar to its 1969 revision, it was celebrated on 29 January.

Francis is remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival on 24 January. In 2022, Francis de Sales was officially added to the Episcopal Church liturgical calendar with a feast day shared with Jane Frances de Chantal on 12 December.

Patronage

In 1923, Pope Pius XI proclaimed him a patron of writers and journalists because de Sales made extensive use of broadsheets and books in spiritual direction and in his efforts to convert the Calvinists of the region.

Influence on other saints

In 1618 or 1619 Vincent de Paul met in Paris Francis de Sales, whose spirituality and writings, especially An Introduction to the Devout Life, and Treatise on the Love of God, were to have a profound influence on Vincent.

His work Treatise on the Love of God, also heavily features in the writings of Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionists.

His writings on the perfections of the heart of Mary as the model of love for God influenced John Eudes to develop the devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Namesakes

Educational institutions

  • St. Francis de Sales School, Newark, Ohio
  • St Francis’ College, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, England
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic Junior School, Liverpool, England
  • School of Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales, Bennington, Vermont
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • St. Francis De Sales Catholic School, Houston, TX
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, Riverside, CA
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, Lake Zurich, IL
  • St. Francis de Sales School, Morgantown, WV, United States
  • St Francis de Sales School, Beckley, West Virginia
  • St Francis de Sales School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic High School, Walla Walla, Washington
  • DeSales High School in Louisville, Kentucky
  • DeSales University, located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania (formerly Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales)
  • Mount de Sales Academy, Catonsville, Maryland
  • Mount de Sales Academy, Georgia
  • Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE, United States
  • St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, OH, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales High School in Chicago, IL, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo, OH, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales College, in Mount Barker, South Australia, Australia
  • St. Francis de Sales – St. Stephen School, in Geneva, NY, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in Nagpur, India, managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in New Delhi, India, managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in Visakhapatnam City, India, managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in Gangapur City, India, managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
  • St. Francis De Sales School, in Nallasopara, India, managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in Dhemaji, India, managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in Nizamabad, Telangana, India
  • St. Francis de Sales School, in Wellington, New Zealand
  • St. Francis de Sales High School, Francis Nagar, Korutla
  • St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Brooklyn, New York
  • St. Francis de Sales College, in Nagpur, India
  • The three seminary departments in the Archdiocese of Lipa are named after St. Francis de Sales (St. Francis de Sales Minor, Major, and Theological Seminary)
  • St Francis de Sales College, Bengaluru, India
  • SFS Public School and Junior College, Kerala (Ettumanoor), India
  • St. Francis de Sales elementary school, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales School, Salisbury, MD, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales Regional Catholic School, Herkimer, NY, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, Lockport, NY, United States (formerly St. Francis de Sales High School)
  • St. Francis de Sales School, Sherman Oaks, CA, United States
  • St. Francis Sales Senior Secondary School, Kerala (Vizhinjam), India
  • St. Francis De Sales, Guwahati, Assam, India

Others

  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Paducah, Kentucky
  • St. Francis de Sales Parish, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Francis de Sales Parish, Newark, Ohio
  • St. Francis De Sales Parish, Akron, Ohio
  • Casa Santa di San Francesco di Sales, Erice, Italy
  • St. Francis De Sales and All Souls, Devonport. Auckland, New Zealand
  • The island of St. François Atoll
  • Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford, CT, United States.
  • St. Francis de Sales Broadcast Center in Batangas City, Philippines houses two radio stations under the Catholic Media Network: 99.1 Spirit FM and ALFM 95.9 Radyo Totoo
  • St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church
  • St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Charlestown, Mass.)
  • St Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Purcellville, Virginia)
  • St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, Morgantown, WV, United States
  • St. Francis de Sales Church (Norton Shores, Michigan), Norton Shores, MI, United States
  • St Francis de Sales, Hampton Hill and Upper Teddington
  • St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church, Ajax, Ontario, Canada
  • St. Francis De Sales Parish, Lakeview, Michigan
  • St. Francis De Sales Parish, Dalugama, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish, Miami Beach, Florida
  • St. Francis de Sales Parish, Estelline, South Dakota
  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Lamar, Colorado
  • St. Francis de Sales Co-Cathedral, Houma, Louisiana
  • St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Abingdon, MD)
  • St. Francis de Sales Parish,Lusaka,Thornpark, Zambia.
  • Saint-François-du-Lac, Québec, Canada

Bibliography

  • Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, London, 2012. limovia.net
  • Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God [known as "Theotimus"], London, 2012. limovia.net
  • Introduction to the Devout Life (Translated and Edited by John K. Ryan), Doubleday, 1972.
  • The Catholic Controversy: St. Francis de Sales' Defense of the Faith, TAN Books, 1989.
  • Set Your Heart Free (Edited by John Kirvan), Ave Maria Press, 2008.
  • Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Prayer, TAN Books, 1985.
  • Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Our Lady, TAN Books, 1985.
  • Sermons of St. Francis de Sales For Lent, TAN Books, 2009.
  • Sermons of St. Francis de Sales for Advent and Christmas, TAN Books, 1987.

See also

  • Saint Francis de Sales, Patron Archive
  • Savoy

References

Sources

  • .
  • .
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  • International Commission on Salesian Studies.
  • Statue in St Peter's Square.
  • Founder Statue in St Peter's Basilica.
  • Saint Francis de Sales papers, Vault MSS 447 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
  • Brief except from Treatise on the Love of God.

Works

  • Introduction to the Devout Life Frederick Pustet & Co.
  • Set Your Heart Free .
  • Spiritual Conferences from Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.
  • An Abridgment of the Interior Spirit of the Religious of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary George Templeman (1834).
  • The Mystical Flora of St. Francis de Sales; or, The Christian Life Under the Emblem of Plants M.H. Gill & Son (1877).
  • Maxims and Counsels of St. Francis de Sales for Every Day in the Year M.H. Gill & Son (1884). Also at Project Gutenberg .
  • Of the Love of God Rivington's (1888).
  • The Month of Mary, According to the Spirit of St. Francis of Sales Robert Washbourne (1890).
  • The Secret of Sanctity, According to St. Francis de Sales and Father Crasset, S.J. Benziger Brothers (1893).
  • Letters to Persons of the World Benziger Brothers (1894).
  • The Catholic Controversy Burns and Oates (1909).
  • Letters to Persons in Religion Burns and Oates (1909).