Because of his own shortcomings, from childhood de Sales chose to focus on practicing the virtue of meekness.
Patron saint of all writers
One well-known fact about the saint is his patronage of journalists and writers. But the bishop of Geneva has only officially held this title for 100 years.
In January 1923, Pope Pius XI marked the 300th anniversary of Francis de Sales’ death with the encyclical Rerum omnium perturbationem (“the disturbance of all things”).
With the letter, Pius XI officially proclaimed St. Francis de Sales “the Heavenly Patron of all Writers.”
The saint earned this title because of his spiritual writings, including two books that are still widely read today: “An Introduction to the Devout Life” and “Treatise on the Love of God.”
“It would be impossible to exaggerate the value of his books and pamphlets” in encouraging holiness, Pope Pius XI wrote about St. Francis de Sales in his encyclical. “These books ought to be distributed as widely as possible among Catholics, for his writings are easy to understand and can be read with great pleasure.”
As a young priest, de Sales volunteered to serve in the hostile Calvinist region of Chablais, Switzerland, a challenging and dangerous assignment.
During this period, when no one would listen to his preaching, the saint took to writing and distributing leaflets refuting the heretical teachings of John Calvin and spreading the truth about the Catholic faith — another reason he is a model for Catholic journalists.
As many as 70,000 Protestants returned to the Catholic faith due to St. Francis de Sales’ dialogue, preaching, and religious tracts.
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Founded a women’s religious order
Francis de Sales was friends with another canonized saint, Jane Frances de Chantal. Together they started a women’s religious community, the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, in Annecy in 1610.
De Sales and de Chantal wanted to start a community open to older women and women unable to join more austere orders.
“The desire,” according to the order, “was ‘to give to God daughters of prayer’ who would honor our Lord in his hidden life by practicing the two virtues dearest to his heart — humility and gentleness.”
“What is the special spirit of the Visitation?” Francis de Sales wrote. “I have always judged it to be a spirit of deep humility before God and of great gentleness toward our neighbor.”
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