Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales was born on August 1st, 1567. Francis passed away December 28th, 1622 at 55 years old. Francis de Sales was born in Château de Sales, Duchy of Savoy, Holy Roman Empire.
Francis de Sales was a Savoyard Catholic prelate that served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. Francis became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land that resulted from the Protestant Reformation. Francis is also known for his writings on the topic of spiritual formation and spiritual direction.
In 1586, he went to a theological discussion about predestination which convinced him of his damnation to hell. It led to him having a personal crisis of despair. It led him through December of 1586.
Sometime after, he went to the old parish of Saint Etienne-des-Gres, Paris, where he prayed the Memorare before a framed statue of Our Lady of Good Deliverance, a Black Madonna. He consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and decided it was time to dedicate himself to God with a vow of chastity. Then he became a tertiary of the Minim Order.
He ultimately found that God had good in store for him since God is Love. His faithful devotion to God not expelled any and all doubts yet also influenced the rest of his life that followed and his teachings. His methods of teaching Catholic spirituality is often referred to as the Way of Divine Love, or the Devout Life, taken out of a book that he wrote of a similar name.
He finished his studies at College de Clermont and he enrolled at the University of Padua, located in Italy, where he studied both theology and law. He was accompanied by Gallois, also a student in Padua and Francis’ 12 year old brother.
The Sign of the Cross is the heroic efforts of Francis to bring Calvinists back to the Faith in this eloquent and succinct defense of the age-old Catholic practice of making the Sign of the Cross, which 16th century Calvinists had denounced as a Popish invention and numerous Protestants even scorn to this day. Along with St. Francis’ other lucid explanations of the Catholic Faith and his undaunted love even for those people that hated him, this modest book that helped restore to their native Catholic faith tens of thousands of people that not that long before had been intent on killing him.
Like they did for the Calvinists back in St. Francis’ day, so in ours these ably translated pages are going to bring you a better understanding of and a renewed love for the Sign of the Cross, which brief and lively exterior prayer by which, from time immemorial, God’s been invoked by serious Christians before all of their endeavors.
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Francis de Sales: F.A.Q
When was Francis de Sales Born?
Francis de Sales was born on August 1st, 1567.
When did Francis de Sales die?
Francis de Sales died on December 28th, 1622 at 55 years old.
Where was Francis de Sales Born?
Francis de Sales was born in Château de Sales, Duchy of Savoy, Holy Roman Empire.
What was the first book Francis de Sales wrote?
The first book written by Francis de Sales was The Catholic Controversy: A Defense of the Faith, published in 1598.
What was the most recent book Francis de Sales wrote?
His most recently released work was Maxims and Counsels of Saint Francis de Sales for Every Day of the Year (a short story) on June 1st, 2025.
How many books has Francis de Sales written?
Francis de Sales has written 19 books. 16 Non-Fiction Books, 2 Collections, 1 book in the Daily Readings Series.