St. Francis de Sales

"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections."
- St. Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622)

Today is the feast day of St. Francis de Sales. Francis was born in 1567 in France. From a young age Francis knew that he wanted to be a priest, but never told anyone. It wasn't until after Francis returned home from studying in Padua, Italy, for his doctorate in law that he told his father about his wish to become a priest. His father refused initially, but later relented. After he was ordained a priest, he was elected provost of Geneva, France. There were many Calvinists (a heretical group) in Geneva, and Francis set out to convert them through preaching and the distribution of pamphlets that he wrote on Catholic doctrine. He was quite successful, and was later elected the bishop of Geneva. His Introduction To The Devout Life and Treatise On The Love Of God are some his most well-known works. Francis also helped found the Visitation Order with St. Jane Frances de Chantal. The Visitation Order exemplified the virtues of Mary's visit to Elizabeth, which are humility, piety, and mutual charity. He died in 1622, and is the patron saint of journalists and writers. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!

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Picture Of And Information About St. Francis Taken From:

http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saintofday/

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=51

http://breviloquia.blogspot.com/2012/01/saint-of-day-francis-de-sales-bishop.html