St. Jane Frances de Chantal: A Woman of Deep Faith

Today is the feast day of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a close friend to St. Francis de Sales.  Saint Jane Frances lived an heroic life of virtue as a married woman, a mother and a foundress of a religious community.   Her marriage started out with the possibility of she and her husband losing the home he inherited as a baron.  Under her detailed supervision, the finances of the estate were brought under control.  She and her husband were of one heart and soul!  They were devoted to each other and to their four children.

Faith was Jane Frances’ unwavering approach to life’s challenges, a faith she instilled in her children. Discussions of religious topics were a daily occurrence.    The children were allowed to talk about anything, even topics considered controversial.   Reaching out to the poor who came to her door for food was also a regular practice in Jane Frances' home. No one was turned away, even when they came back repeatedly for the same meal. When employees complained, she said to them: “What if God turned me away when I came back to him again and again with the same request?”

Jane Frances’ happiness was shattered when her husband Christophe was killed in a hunting accident. Before taking his last breath, Christophe forgave the person who accidently shot him: “Don’t commit the sin of hating yourself when you have done nothing wrong.” Brokenhearted, Jane Frances had a more difficult time with forgiveness but eventually was able to forgive the person who killed her husband.  Her struggles led her to an insatiable thirst for God and a deeper spiritual life. She sought direction from Saint Francis de Sales, who encouraged her to found the Visitation order for women who were rejected by other religious orders because of poor health or age. She strongly believed that people should have a chance to live their religious calling regardless of ill health.

Many sought spiritual direction from Jane Frances. She was always gentle and loving in her approach to living the spiritual life.  She’d say to a distraught directee:  “Should you fall even fifty times a day, never on any account should that surprise or worry you.  …[G]ently set your heart back in the right direction and practice the opposite virtue, all the time speaking words of love and trust to our Lord…Once we have humbled ourselves for the faults God allows us to become aware of in ourselves, we must forget them and go forward.”

Source: St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Catholic Online