Saint Francis de Sales

Who is he?

Saint Francis de Sales was bishop of Geneva, a great preacher and writer of the Church. He is called “the gentle saint.” He is a Doctor of the Church and the patron saint of Catholic writers and journalists. Saint John Bosco chose him as patron of his religious congregation, and that is why it is called the Salesians.

Life story

Francis was born on 21 August 1567 at the castle of Sales, in Savoy (now in France), the eldest son of a noble family. His father wanted him to become a lawyer and then a high official. He obediently studied law and earned a doctorate in law in Padua, Italy. But in his heart, he only wanted to belong to God. After many years, his father agreed, and in 1593 he was ordained a priest.

He asked to go to the Chablais region, where almost all the people had left the Catholic Church. People shut their doors and would not listen to him preach; once, some even planned to harm him. He did not give up: he wrote little leaflets explaining the faith and slipped them under the door of each house. With patience and kindness, he helped a great many people come back to the Church.

In 1602, he became bishop of Geneva, but he had to live in the town of Annecy, because Geneva would not accept a Catholic bishop. He lived simply, and everyone who came to see him was welcomed, rich and poor alike. He even worked out his own signs to teach the catechism to a deaf man who could not speak.

He wrote the book “Introduction to the Devout Life” to show everyone, including people with families and jobs in the world, how to become holy in their daily duties. Together with Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, he founded the Visitation Order. People say that he was naturally hot-tempered, but he patiently practiced gentleness for many years. He said: “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrel of vinegar.”

He died in Lyon on 28 December 1622, was canonized in 1665 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1877.

Why is he a saint?

Saint Francis loved God and loved everyone with a gentle and patient heart. He taught that everyone is called by God to be holy, not just priests or religious, but also students, workers, and mothers and fathers in families.

A lesson for you

• When you want to correct a friend, speak gently and kindly: gentle words persuade better than harsh ones.
• You can become holy right in your everyday duties: studying hard and cheerfully helping with the housework.
• When you text or write online, use good, kind words, like the patron saint of writers and journalists.