St. Francis de Sales, 24th January

This saint was born in the noble Sales family of the Duchy of Savoy, on August 21,1567 in France and studied law in Padua. His father was Francoise de Sales, Lord of Boisy and mother Francoise de Sionnz. He was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Geneva on December 8, 1602, where Calvinist sect of Christians were having very strong presence. Francis took very sincere efforts for converting Calvinist Christians to Catholicism.

He became the Bishop of Geneva at the age of 35 years. He often say that perfection in devotion can be preserved even in the family life, as in desert life. He started to write sermons and copied them by his hand and slipped them through doors of the houses that did not open for him. This is considered as the first use of religious tracts to communicate with people. He collaborated with St.Jane Francis De Chantal in founding the Congregation of Visitation, an Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary to observe and practice the virtues of humility, piety and mutual charity, in the visit of Holy Mary to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

He was made an official associate of the Capuchin Order, when he was Bishop. He died on December 28, 1622. He was beatified on January 8, 1661, by Pope Alexander-VII and canonized by the same Pope after four years on April 8, 1665. He is remembered as a patron of journalists because of the tracts he wrote.