“Do everything calmly and peacefully. Do as much as you can as well as you can. Strive to see God in all things without exception, and consent to his will joyously. Do everything for God, uniting yourself to him in word and deed. Walk very simply with the Cross of the Lord and be at peace with yourself.” St. Francis de Sales
1567 – 1622
FEAST January 24
St. Francis de Sales (CNS)
Born in the Duchy of Savoy (now France), Francis studied at Annecy, Paris and Padua, and was ordained in 1593. He spent four years reconverting Catholics who had become Calvinists, writing many tracts to explain basic tenets of the faith. In 1602 he became bishop of Geneva, which he reorganized and reformed. He also famously preached in Paris and wrote two devotional books that are still widely read. A 20-year friendship with St. Jane Frances de Chantal led to their founding the Order of the Visitation. Canonized in 1665 and declared a doctor of the church in 1877, Francis is the patron saint of journalists, authors and the deaf.
