Francis of Sales
Martyrological notice
At Lyons, in Gaul, St. Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva, who on account of his most burning zeal for the conversion of heretics, was numbered among the saints by Alexander the Seventh. His festival, by command of the same pope, is kept on the fourth of the kalends of February, on which day his body was translated to Annecy.
Martyrologium Romanum · Latin witness
Lugduni, in Gallia, item natalis sancti Francisci Salesii, Episcopi Gebennensis et Confessoris; quem, doctrina et
The Lives Of The Saints: Volume 01, January · S. FRANCIS OF SALES, B.C. OF GENEVA
[Roman Martyrology. Beatified, ad. 1661, canonised, A.D. 1665. Jan. 29th, is the day of the translation of his body to Annecy ; he died on Holy Innocents' Day. Authorities : authentic lives by his nephew, Charles Augustus de Sales, also by F. Goulu, general of the Feuillans, also by Henry de Maupas du Tour, Bishop of Puys, and afterward of Evreux ; also by Madame de Bussi-Rabutin, nun of the Visitation ; also anecdotes of him collected by his friend Camus, Bishop of Belley ; and finally, his own writings.1]
S. Francis of Sales was the eldest son of one of the principal nobles of Savoy, — John, Lord of Sales, of Boisy, of Balleyson, and of Ville-Roget, usually styled by the second of these titles. His mother Frances, daughter of the Lord of La Thuille and of Vallieres, came of no less noble stock. He had many brothers and sisters, of whom Louis, Lord of La Thuille, was the father of Charles Augustus, the pious biographer of the Saint Francis was born, Aug. 21st, 1567.
He was sent in early childhood to the college of Annecy, where he was trained in all the accomplishments which in those days were considered essential to the rank of a young noble. He was five years at the college of Annecy. At the age of eleven, he entreated permission of his father to take the tonsure, having at that early age decided to adopt the ecclesiastical life. M. de Boisy by no means desired this, for his ambition was, that his eldest son should succeed him as the head of the family, and distinguish him- self in political life; but, with that sort of management which men of great experience often prefer to violent measures, he permitted him to do as he pleased. The old lord knew that the tonsure did not bind his son finally to become an ecclesiastic ; and he depended on the changes
1 The following life is epitomised from Mr. Ormsby’s "Life of S. Francis of Sales,” and "The Mission of S. Francis of Sales in the Chablais ” by Lady Herbert. See also Addenda at end of this volume.
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Lives of the Saints.
[Janaary sq.
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to which a young man's mind is subject, to dissipate this predilection.
In 1580, he was sent to pursue his studies in the Univer- sity of Paris. At Paris one of the most critical events of his life took place, a terrible temptation to despair, which came on suddenly, and lasted for a considerable time, but from which he was released in a wonderful manner. He was about the age of seventeen, when the idea took possession of his mind, that he was not in a state of grace, and that the face of God was turned away from him. In his agony of mental distress he prayed, “ Lord if I may not see Thee hereafter, yet, oh grant, that I may never blaspheme Thee !” He seems, if it were possible, to have suffered the very anguish of hell, without the loss of the love of God. During the six weeks this shadow lay upon him, he could hardly eat or sleep, he wasted to a skeleton and his friends became greatly alarmed for his health. At length, this great cross disappeared as suddenly as it came. He one day entered the church of S. Etienne des Gr6s and knelt down before an image of the Blessed Virgin. His eye was caught by a tablet on the wall, on which was inscribed the famous prayer of S. Bernard, called the Memorarc. He repeated it with great emotion ; and implored that, through the interces- + sion of Mary, it might please God to restore his peace of mind. He also made a vow of perpetual chastity. The dark thoughts which had brooded over his soul for many weeks now sped away, and the sun of God's favour shone on it and warmed it once more. He came out of the church in that sweet and profound calmness of mind which he never after- wards lost Considering what he was to become in after life, the guide and comforter of such a multitude of souls, it was necessary, in order to give him his tender overflowing sympathy, that he should have sounded the most unusual depths of human agony.
Butler Jan Mar · SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES,
BISHOP AND CONFESSOR.
From his writings and authentic lives, chiefly that written by his nephew, Charles Augustus de Sales: also that by F. Goulu, general of the Feuillans: that by Henry de Maupas du Tour, bishop of Puy, afterwards of Evreux: and that by Madame de Bussi-Rabutin, nun of the Visitation See his life, collected by M. Marsoillier, and done into English by the late Mr. Crathorne. See also the bull of his canonization, and an excellent collection of his maxims and private actions, compiled by his intimate friend and real admirer, M. Peter Caums, bishop of Bellay, in his book, entitled, L'Espirit de St. Francois de Sales, and in his scarce and incomparable work under the title. Quel est le meilleur Gouvernement, le rigoureux ou le dour, printed at Paris without the name of the author, 1636. Though I find not this book in any catalogue of bishop Camus's works, the conformity of style, and in several places the repetition of the same expressions which occur in the last-mentioned work, seem to prove this to be also the production of his pen. See also the excellent new edition of the letters of St. Francis of Sales, in six volumes, 12mo. 1758.