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Saint Francis de Sales (Credit : Château de Bussy-Rabutin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Every Jan. 24, the Catholic Church celebrates St. Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva and doctor of the Church, known as “the saint of kindness.” He reportedly had a bad temper, but he relied on divine grace and the maternal care of the Virgin Mary to temper that vice and become a man of virtue.

St. Francis de Sales is also the patron saint of the Catholic press, journalists, and writers. He is considered a spiritual master, inspiring saints such as St. John Bosco and St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus.

Early life with 'bad temper’

Francis was born in 1567 in the castle of Sales, duchy of Savoy (then part of the Holy Roman Empire). He was the eldest of six siblings. He had a restless and playful character, to the point that his mother and his wet nurse had to redouble their efforts to take care of him and be attentive to his wanderings. As a child, Francis had an irascible temperament.

His father, on the other hand, wanting Francis to grow up well disciplined, chose a priest named Father Deage, a demanding man, as his tutor. The priest gave Francis a hard time, but, as Francis himself later acknowledged, it helped him in his human and Christian formation.

Religious Life

Francis went to study law in Padua, as was his father’s wish, but he also enrolled to study theology. In his heart had sprung up the desire to know the things of God more deeply.

At the age of 24, already with a doctorate, he returned to his family to live the ordinary life of a young man of nobility. His father wanted him to marry and obtain an important position, but Francis possessed the desire to consecrate his life totally to the service of God. He confessed to his father his desire to become a priest. At first he was met with stiff resistance, but finally his father agreed. Francis renounced the lordship of Villaroger, which was his birthright, and was ordained a priest on May 10, 1593.

After ordination, Francis was elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, then a center for the Calvinists. He set out to convert them, especially in the district of Chablais. By preaching and distributing the little pamphlets he wrote to explain true Catholic doctrine, he had remarkable success.

Bishop and Founder

At 35, Francis became bishop of Geneva. While administering his diocese he continued to preach, hear confessions, and catechize the children. His gentle character was a great asset in winning souls. He practiced his own axiom, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.”

During this period, Francis had a disciple named Jane de Chantal, with whom he founded the Congregation of the Visitation in 1610. The spiritual instruction and direction he gave to de Chantal, who was also later canonized a saint, became his famous “Introduction to the Devout Life” — his best-known work.

Author

Besides his two well-known books, the "Introduction to the Devout Life" and "A Treatise on the Love of God", Francis wrote many pamphlets and carried on a vast correspondence. For his writings, he has been named patron of the Catholic Press. His writings, filled with his characteristic gentle spirit, are addressed to lay people. He wants to make them understand that they too are called to be saints.

Death & Legacy

Francis de Sales continued his journey preaching and administering the sacraments until his strength left him. He died on Dec. 28, 1622, at the age of 56.

One day after Francis’ death, the entire city of Lyon paraded in front of the humble house where he had died. Known for his holiness, his coffin was opened in 1632 and his body was in good condition: He looked like he was in a peaceful sleep.

Francis de Sales was canonized a saint in 1665. In 1878 Pope Pius IX declared him a doctor of the Church. Not long after that, John Bosco would make him the patron of his newly founded congregation — the Pious Society of St. Francis de Sales — and make Francis a model for the service of his spiritual sons, the “Salesians.”

Article by Catholic Time Staff