Widow and Religious (1572-1641)

Her life

+ Jane Frances was born in Dijon, France, and was married to the Baron de Chantal, with whom she had four sons.

+ Following her husband’s death, she embraced religious life under the guidance of her spiritual director Saint Francis de Sales. Together, they established a new religious community: the Order of the Visitation.

+ Noted for her charity and strong faith, Sister Jane Frances dedicated to the remainder of her life to the expansion of her community.

+ In the period before her death in December 1641, she experienced an extended period of spiritual darkness brought on by the death of Saint Francis and one of her sons. Resigning herself to God’s Will, she endured all her sufferings with a spirit of resignation and humility.

+ Saint Jane Frances de Chantal was canonized in 1767.

For prayer and reflection

“In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.”—Psalm 131:1

Vocations

To learn about the various communities of the Visitation Order in the United States, visit the following links:

Monastery of the Visitation (Toledo, OH): www.toledovisitation.org

Sisters of the Visitation (Dubuque, IA): www.sistersofthevisitationdbq.org/

Visitation Monastery (Mobile, AL): www.VisitationMonasteryMobile.org

Visitation Monastery (Minneapolis, MN): www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org

Visitation Monastery (Brooklyn, NY): www.brooklynvisitationmonastery.org

Monastery of the Visitation (Washington, DC): www.gvmonastery.org

Visitation Nuns (Rockville, VA): www.visitmontemaria.com

Prayer

O God, who made Saint Jane Frances de Chantel
radiant with outstanding merits in different walks of life,
grant us, through her intercession,
that, walking faithfully in our vocation,
we may constantly be examples of shining light.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.