St. Francis de Sales: The Gentleman Saint

Wednesday, January 24, is the Feast Day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron and namesake of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales!

Francis, who lived from 1567 - 1622 in what is today eastern France, was a bishop, spiritual director, popular preacher, and all around gentleman who has inspire hundreds of thousands of Christians through his life and his writings. His two most famous works are the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God, both considered spiritual classics. Because of his writings, and especially his use of pamphlets when he was a missionary, Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers and journalists. He was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877.

Want to know more about this saint who has inspired so many Christians over the last 400 years? Click here to watch a biographical video about him produced by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.