The tumultuous years in France after the Protestant Reformation formed the background for Francis DeSales. He was born August 21, 1567, into a family of nobility of what was then the Kingdom of Savoy, which bordered France, Italy, and Switzerland. He was educated by the Jesuits at the College of Clermont in Paris and the University of Padua, where he earned a Doctorate in both Civil and Church Law.

To the great disappointment of his father, Francis gave up a promising civil career to follow his calling to the priesthood. After his ordination, he was sent as a young missionary to the Chablais district of Savoy for four years. By the end of his missionary apostolate, 72,000 men and women had re-embraced the Catholic faith.

Francis was ordained Bishop of Geneva in 1602 but resided in Annecy (now part of modern-day France) because Geneva was under Calvinist control and therefore closed to him. His diocese became famous throughout Europe for its efficient organization, zealous clergy, and well-instructed laity - monumental achievements in those days.

Francis' fame as a spiritual director and writer grew. He was convinced by others to collect, organize, and expand on his many letters addressing spiritual subjects. He published these letters in 1609 under the title Introduction of the Devout Life . This work would become his most famous, but Francis' special project was the writing of A Treatise of the Love Of God , published in 1616, over which he prayed and labored many years.

The spirituality of Francis DeSales flowed out of his experience as a missionary priest, bishop, spiritual director, author, and Religious Founder. Basic tenets of his teachings include:

• The recognizable call to holiness for all people in all walks of life
• The necessity of living in the "present moment" as the privileged opportunity to know and live God's will
• The goodness of creation
• The centrality of love and freedom in one's relationship with God and the world
• The sanctity of the "ordinary" done "passionately well"
• The gentleness, humility, optimism, and joy that come from living in truthfulness

Francis collaborated with Jane de Chantel in founding the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary , a religious order known for the simplicity of its rule and traditions. After Francis' death in 1622 (at the age of 55), Jane was determined to establish an order of men who, above all, would be formed by the teachings of Francis DeSales. Her dream finally was realized in the work of Father Louis Brisson and Mother Marie de Sales Chappuis some 250 years later.

History of the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales

Louis Brisson, a priest of Troyes in France, founded the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales . Since 1875, thousands of men in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America have joined the community. Oblates first arrived in the United States in 1893 and established a permanent community in 1903. The decision was made to form two American provinces - one headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and one in Toledo, Ohio - in 1966.

The dream, inspiration, and vision of Father Louis Brisson and Mother Marie de Sales Chappuis - embraced over and over again by each new member of the Community - is the ongoing story of the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales .

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