Francis de Sales

Saint Francis de Sales
Bishop of Geneva
Native name	François de Sales
Province	Vienne
Diocese	Geneva
Appointed	15 July 1602 (Coadjutor)
Installed	8 December 1602
Term ended	28 December 1622
Predecessor	Claude de Granier
Successor	Jean-François de Sales
Orders
Ordination	18 December 1593
Consecration	8 December 1602
Personal details
Previous post(s)	Titular Bishop of Nicopolis ad Iaterum (1602)
Motto	Non-excidet
Coat of arms

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Francis de Sales,

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.^[1]

He was baptized Francis Bonaventura after his godparents, François de la Fléchère and Damoiselle Bonaventure de Chevron-Villette, who was also his widowed, maternal grandmother.^[2] 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.^[3]

Education and self-consecration

In 1578, de Sales went to the

De Sales ultimately concluded that God had good in store for him because "God is love", as the First Epistle of John attests. This faithful devotion to God not only expelled his doubts but also influenced the rest of his life and his teachings. His way of teaching Catholic spirituality is often referred to as the Way of Divine Love, or the Devout Life, taken from a book he wrote of a similar name: Introduction to the Devout Life.

De Sales completed his studies at

Return to Savoy

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.^[5]

Priest and provost

Because the Calvinists controlled Geneva, the bishop resided about twenty miles south, in Annecy. De Sales preached in the Cathedral of Annecy, at parish churches and before confraternities. He was an effective speaker; his voice was deep and rich in tone and his speech somewhat slow and measured. His sermons were comparatively short and without the customary displays of erudition. He avoided controversy and focused on a particular point of duty, a specific virtue or the correction of some vice.^[1] The cathedral chapter recommended that although he was only twenty-seven years of age, the provost be named Grand Penitentiary of the diocese, with the result that de Sales found himself taking many more confessions.

Chamblais

In 1594, the Duke of Savoy requested the Bishop to send a missioner to Chamblais, an area that had been long held by the Swiss and only recently returned to Savoy. The task would be both difficult and dangerous, and the most qualified for the assignment was the provost. Despite his family's objections, de Sales readily accepted. Accompanied only by his cousin, the Canon Louis, they made their base the fortress of

In 1599 he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Geneva. In 1602, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Henry IV of France to negotiate the restoration of Catholic worship in Gex, a part of the diocese that had been returned to France.^[6] He was invited to give the Lenten sermons at the Chapel Royal. The morals at court reflected those of the King, which were notorious, but King Henry became personally attached to Francis and is said to have observed, "A rare bird, this Monsieur de Genève, he is devout and also learned; and not only devout and learned but at the same time a gentleman. A very rare combination".^{[This quote needs a citation]}

While in Paris, he also met Cardinal Berulle and Madame Acarie.^[7] 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.

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 organization, zealous clergy and well-instructed laity, an achievement in those days.^[8]

He worked closely with the

These last qualities come through in de Sales' books, the most famous of which was Introduction to the Devout Life, which, unusually for the time, was written for laypeople, especially for women. In it, he counseled charity over penance as a means of progressing in the spiritual life. De Sales also left a mystical work, the Treatise on the Love of God, and many highly valued letters of spiritual direction, including those with Jane Frances de Chantal compiled in the Letters of Spiritual Direction.^[11]

Founder

Along with Chantal, de Sales founded the women's

De Sales has been styled "the Gentleman Saint" because of his patience and gentleness.[9] His autopsy revealed many gallstones. Despite the resistance of the populace of Lyon to moving his remains from that city, he was buried on 24 January 1623 in the church of the Monastery of the Visitation in Annecy, which he had founded with Chantal, who was also buried there. Their remains were venerated there until the French Revolution.^[14] 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 Lyons to Venice.^[3]

De Sales was

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.^[5] Sales developed a sign language to teach a deaf man about God. That has made him the patron saint of the deaf.^[19]

Having been founded as one of the first non-cloistered group of sisters, after attempts had been with the

• The religious institute of the Salesians of Don Bosco, founded by John Bosco in 1859 (approved by the Holy See in 1874), is also known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, and is placed under his patronage.
• The Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales were founded by Léonie Aviat and Louis Brisson, under the spiritual guidance of the Marie de Sales Chappuis in 1866. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales order for men was later founded by Brisson, also under the guidance of Marie de Sales, in 1875.^[8]
• The Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri count him as one of their patrons, given his close association with St. Philip Neri's disciples and his founding of the Oratory in Thonon, France (now defunct), of which he was the first superior.
• The Paulist Fathers in the United States count him.

Legacy

Congregations

In the 19th century, his vision for religious communities was revived. Several religious institutes were founded during that period for men and women desiring to live out the spiritual path that de Sales had developed.

• The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS), founded by the Abbé Pierre Mermier in 1838, were the first congregation to adopt his spirituality in the 19th century.
• The religious institute of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), founded by John Bosco in 1859 (approved by the Holy See in 1874), is also known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, and is placed under his patronage.
• The Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS) were founded by Léonie Aviat and Louis Brisson, under the spiritual guidance of the Marie de Sales Chappuis in 1866.
• The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS) order for men was later founded by Brisson, also under the guidance of Marie de Sales, in 1875.^[8]
• The Paulist Fathers in the United States count him as one of their patrons.

The

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.^[10]

His writings on the perfections of the heart of Mary as the model of love for God influenced

• 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 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, Nizamabad, Telangana, India.^[22]
• St. Francis de Sales School (Wellington, New Zealand)
• St. Francis de Sales High School, Francis Nagar, Korutla
• St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Brooklyn, New York^[23]
• 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 Parish, Newark, Ohio
• 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
  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

Bibliography

• Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout life, London, 2012. limovia.net
  ISBN 978-1-78336-023-9
• Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God [known as "Theotimus"], London, 2012. limovia.net
  ISBN 978-1-78336-024-6
• Introduction to the Devout Life (Translated and Edited by John K. Ryan), Doubleday, 1972.
  ISBN 978-0-385-03009-0
• The Catholic Controversy: St. Francis de Sales' Defense of the Faith, TAN Books, 1989.
  ISBN 978-0-89555-387-4
• Set Your Heart Free (Edited by John Kirvan), Ave Maria Press, 2008.
  ISBN 978-1-59471-153-4
• Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Prayer, TAN Books, 1985.
  ISBN 978-0-89555-258-7
• Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Our Lady, TAN Books, 1985.
  ISBN 978-0-89555-259-4
• Sermons of St. Francis de Sales For Lent, TAN Books, 2009.
  ISBN 978-0-89555-260-0
• Sermons of St. Francis de Sales for Advent and Christmas, TAN Books, 1987.
  ISBN 978-0-89555-261-7

• Saint Francis de Sales, patron saint archive
• Savoy

References

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Francis de Sales". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francis de Sales.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Francis de Sales.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Author:Francis de Sales

• Works by Francis de Sales at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Francis de Sales at Internet Archive
• Works by Francis de Sales at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• International Commission on Salesian Studies All about St. Francis de Sales worldwide
• 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
• Mackey, Henry Benedict; Phillips, Walter Alison (1911). "Francis of Sales, St" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). pp. 940–941.

Works

• Introduction to the Devout Life Frederick Pustet & Co. (192X)
• Set Your Heart Free Readings from De Sales
• 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)
• Of the Love of God Rivington's (1888)
• 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)

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Giovanni Fontana	— TITULAR — Bishop of Nicopolis ad Iaterum 15 July 1602 – 17 September 1602	Succeeded by Bernardin Corneillan
Preceded by Claude de Granier	Bishop of Geneva 17 September 1602 – 28 December 1622	Succeeded by Jean-François de Sales