Francis de Sales was born in the castle of Sales at Thorens near Annecy in France, on 21st August 1567. He had his education at Annecy, La Roche, Paris and Padua and he was ordained a priest in 1593. As a priest he devoted himself to the spiritual renewal of Annecy. Francis de Sales preached in a simple style and that attracted many because he was able to harmonise his life and activity. In 1594 he was sent to Chablais as a missionary and there he converted more than 70, 000 Calvinists to Catholicism. He was ordained Bishop of Geneva on 8th December 1602.
Francis de Sales held the title of bishop of Geneva, but lived in Annecy as Geneva was the bastion of the Calvinists. He was a spiritual guide to people of all walks of life and a great concilator of kings, nobles and an advisor to the Pope and princes. He is known as the gentleman saint.
He founded the Academy Florimontane with President Favre, father of the grammarian Vaugelas. He is known as the ‘doctor of divine Love' specifically because of the Treatise on the Love of God and The Introduction to the Devout Life. Along with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, he
founded the women's Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in Annecy on 6 June 1610. On 27th December 1622, Francis suffered a stroke and he passed away on 28th December, the feast of Holy Innocents. On 28 th December 1661, Francis de Sales was beatified by Pope Alexander VII and on 19 th April 1665 he was canonized by the same Pope. On 16th November 1877, Pope Pius IX declared him Doctor of the Church. Pope Paul VI called him the “gem” of Savoy and Switzerland.
In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “In an age such as ours that seeks freedom, even with violence and unrest, the timeliness of this great teacher of spirituality and peace who gave his followers the “spirit of freedom”, the true spirit, St Francis de Sales is an exemplary witness of Christian humanism; with his familiar style, with words which at times have a poetic touch, he reminds us that human beings have, planted in their innermost depths, the longing for God and that in him alone can they find true joy and the most complete fulfilment” (General Audi¬ence, Wednesday, 2 March 2011).
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