WEDNESDAY SAINT - St. Francis De Sales
St.
Francis de Sales
Francis
was born in Sales, in the SE of France, on August 21, 1567, and
ordained to the priesthood in 1593( age 26).
From 1594 to 1598 he
is known for his
gentle approach to the religious divisions of Europe in that time, and the difficult,
and sometimes dangerous, task of preaching to post-Reformation
Protestants around Chablais.
He is said to have effected the return
of some 70,000 souls to the Catholic faith from the upstart
Protestant.
Many don't know that the Protestant Reformation of the
1500's was essentially a violent overthrow of the Church... it is
certainly downplayed in modern times as a just and kindly rebellion
against Christs Founding Church.
Banishment's, reprisals, and
takeover of property against Catholics were well documented. More than that,
beatings, rape, killings, and destruction of property at the hands of
so called Protestant Christians was common where Protestantism had
taken root.
The Protestant ministers were at the forefront of these
attacks, and particularly notorious were the Calvinists. They held sway over the civil authorities, and to call them a “gang of
thugs” is not too strong a description
In De Sales
case, he met
great opposition from the Calvinist ministers of Geneva, who held an iron hand of control over the region. They fabricated accusations of sorcery against de Sales, and on several occasions he barely escaped armed men sent to kill him. More than once, he escaped death at the hands of Calvinist assassins.
So when we say his mission was dangerous, well, now you know the truth.
In
1602 he became bishop of Geneva, although he was forced to live in
Annecy
(now
in France) because Geneva remained under the Calvinist boot and was
therefore closed to him. His diocese became famous throughout Europe
for its efficient organization, zealous clergy, and well-instructed
laity, quite an achievement in those days.
His zeal for souls is attested in 21,000 extant letters and 4,000
sermons which exemplify how he applied St. Paul's words: "I have
become all things to all men." You may epitomize his character
in two words, kindliness and lovableness — virtues that were the
secret of his success. His writings reflect his kindheartedness and
sweet disposition.
Most
widely known is the saint's, “Introduction
to the Devout Life,”
which, with the, “Imitation
of Christ,”
is rightly considered the finest outline of Christian perfection.
Francis' 'Introduction'
proves
to the world that true piety makes persons amiable, lovable and
happy.
A renowned and holy friendship existed between him and St.
Frances de Chantal. In cooperation with her, he founded the
Visitation Nuns in 1610.
Out of love for his own poor diocese, he
refused opportunities for advancement, including the cardinalate. In
recognition of the 'Introduction'
and
his other writings, Francis has been declared a doctor of the Church.
How Francis developed a gentle and amiable disposition is a story in itself; he was not born a saint. By nature his temperament was choleric and fiery; little was needed to throw him into a state of violent anger. It took years before he mastered his impatience, and his unruly temper. The important point, of course, is that by constant perseverance he did in time attain perfect self-mastery. This is perhaps his greatest legacy.
De Sales has been styled "the Gentleman Saint" because of his patience and gentleness 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. 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.
De Sales was beatified in 1661 by Pope Alexander VII, who then canonized him four years later. De Sales was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877.
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.
—Excerpted from, “The Church's Year of Grace,” Pius Parsch, and wikipedia
Patronage:
against deafness; authors; Catholic press; confessors; deaf
people; educators; journalists; teachers; writers;
Locations:
Diocese of Baker, Oregon; Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio;
Diocese of Columbus, Ohio; Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware; Diocese
of Oakland, California; Diocese of Houma-Theibodaux, Louisiana;
Diocese of Annecy, France; Diocese of Keimoes-Upington, South Africa.
Symbols and Representation: Bald man with a long beard wearing a bishop's robes holding a book; heart pierced with thorns or picture of the Virgin.
Highlights and Things to Do:
Read more about St. Francis de Sales:
Read, An Introduction to the Devout Life which is in print and also available online. CatholicSaints.info has a variety of sources either about or by St. Francis.
Read more about St. Francis de Sales.
Listen to Catholic Culture's audiobook of Introduction to a Devout Life read by James Majewski:
Learn more about the errors of Calvinism and the Jansenistic heresy, both of which St. Francis' converted many followers.
Learn more about the Salesian order.
See the statues on St. Peter's Basilica Colonnade and Inside St. Peter's Basilica.
St. Francis was born near Geneva, Switzerland, try a Swiss recipe in his honor.
Catholic Cuisine has some clever food ideas for St. Francis de Sales.
Comments
Post a Comment