"It
matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on
well, and to end well."
-St.
Francis de Sales
The tumultuous years in France after the Protestant Reformation formed
the background for Francis de Sales. 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 to 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 de Sales flowed out of his experiences as a
missionary priest, bishop, spiritual director, author and Religious
Founder.
Basic tenets of his teachings include:
v
The
recognizable call to holiness for all people in all walks of life
v
The
necessity of living in the "present moment" as the privileged
opportunity to know and live God's will
v
The
goodness of creation
v
The
centrality of love and freedom in one's relationship with God and the
world
v
The
sanctity of the "ordinary" done "passionately well"
v
The
gentleness, humility, optimism and joy that come from living in
truthfulness
Francis collaborated with Jane de Chantal 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 de Sales. Her dream finally
was realized in the work of Father Louis Brisson and Mother Marie de
Sales Chappuis some 250 years later.
Louis Brisson, a priest of Troyes in France, founded the Oblates of St.
Francis de Sales. 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 de Sales.
In the fall of
1970, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales of the Toledo-Detroit Province were invited by Bishop Merlin J. Guilfoyle to administrate St. Mary's High School. They have built on the
fine tradition of Catholic secondary education and have built St. Mary's
High School into the remarkable institution it is today.
