"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:
vThe
recognizable call to holiness for all people in all walks of life
vThe
necessity of living in the "present moment" as the privileged
opportunity to know and live God's will
vThe
goodness of creation
vThe
centrality of love and freedom in one's relationship with God and the
world
vThe
sanctity of the "ordinary" done "passionately well"
vThe
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.
In 2010, the Oblates celebrate their 40th year of
serving the St. Mary's community and the Diocese of Stockton. To honor
them, a gathering was held on March 14th, 2010 at the school. Photos of
the event are below.
For 39 years,
Brother Neil has quietly dedicated his life to the St.
Mary's High School Community. He has tirelessly and
selflessly served in many capacities during his time here,
from facilities to the main office. In the finest tradition
of St. Francis De Sales, Brother Neil exemplified St.
Francis' directive to "Be who you are and be that
well."
In his new
assignment in Maryland, Brother Neil will again be
exemplifying his Christian charity and virtue as he cares
for an aging priest suffering from Alzheimers. St. Francis
could have been speaking of Brother Neil when he said: "Nothing
is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real
strength."
Brother Jaems Dorazio, O.S.F.S. Featured
in Magazine
Brother James Dorazio was featured in the June issue of the
Oblate Magazine "Bondings"
The article pointed out that there is a considerable musical
talent in our midst. Brother James studied at the
Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome, had conducted the
Cathedral Men's Choir in Salt Lake City, and developed a music
appreciation class.
He taught classes in music appreciation entitled "Bach to the
Beatles: a History of the Structure of Different Types of
Music". Although he runs the Ram Center store at St. Mary's, he
also plays the organ for Mass at O'Connor Woods.
Fr. Clark Kelley,
O.S.F.S. Celebrates 80th
Fr. Kelley, who has given so much to
the St. Mary's community during his decades of service,
celebrated his 80th birthday on May 13, 2010 with a large group
of St. Mary's faculty in the Student Activities center with
hearty wishes of "Multi Anno" to our beloved friend, mentor and
priest.
