Text and Illustrations from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
Saint Francis of Sales.
Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of The Church.
Feast Day 29 January.
Double.
White Vestments.
Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622).
From a painting in Heimsuchungskloster, Oberroning, Bayern, Deutschland
(Convent of the Visitation Sisters, Oberroning, Bavaria, Germany).
This File: 18 April 2005.
User: Searobin
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Word Made Flesh makes known to us, by His teachings, the Mysteries of His Divine Wisdom, and, by His Miracles, His eternal love. Saint Francis of Sales (Saint Francis de Sales), a Doctor of the Church, had a share in the knowledge of the Incarnate Word (Gradual), and, like Him, by his gentle Charity (Collect) worked wonders of conversion.
Sent to "preach the word of God to the Calvinists of Chablais, he brought back sixty thousand to the Catholic Faith" (Breviary). Having become the father of the Church at Geneva, and founder of the Order of the Visitation, he shed over this double family (Communion) the rays of his Apostolic zeal and of his gentle holiness.
"May your light shine before men, so that, seeing your works, they may glorify your Father Who is in Heaven" (Gospel). It is especially God's goodness which this Saint revealed. "If we must fall into some excess," Saint Francis of Sales would say, "let it be on the side of gentleness".
Saint Francis de Sales.
Available on YouTube at
"I wish to love him so much, this dear neighbour, I wish to love him so much ! It has pleased God so to make my heart ! Oh !, when shall we be impregnated with gentleness and in Charity towards our neighbour ?"
Saint Francis of Sales died at Lyons, France, in 1622.
Let us remember this Saint's two sayings: "You can catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar." "What is good, makes no noise; noise does no good."
Mass: In médio.
Coat-of-Arms of Saint Francis de Sales.
Date: 5 December 2013.
Source: Own work.
Reference: File:Franz von Sales Bischofswappen.jpg
Commons Images Used: File:Template-Bishop.svg
Author: Jayarathina
(Wikimedia Commons)
Francis de Sales, C.O., T.O.M., A.O.F.M. Cap. (French: François de Sales) (1567 – 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is honoured as a Saint in The Roman Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep Faith and his gentle approach to the Religious divisions in his land resulting from The Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation, particularly the Introduction To The Devout Life and the Treatise on The Love of God.
Francis de Sales was Beatified in 1661 by Pope Alexander VII, who then Canonised him four years later. He was declared a Doctor of The Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877.
The Roman Catholic Church currently (in the Novus Ordo Form) Celebrates Saint Francis de Sales' Feast Day on 24 January, the day of his burial in Annecy, France, in 1624. From the year 1666, when his Feast Day was inserted into The General Roman Calendar, until the reform of this Calendar in 1969, it was observed on 29 January, and this date is kept by those who Celebrate The Extraordinary Form of The Roman Rite.
