St. Jane Frances de Chantal

Feast Day: August 12

“Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.” – St. Jane Frances de Chantal

St. Jane Frances de Chantal is honored for her deep faith, perseverance through suffering, and her role as the co-founder of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. Her feast day, celebrated on August 12, commemorates her dedication to living a life of charity, humility, and trust in God.

A Life of Family, Loss, and Calling

Jane Frances was born in 1572 in Dijon, France, into a noble family. She married Baron Christophe de Chantal, and together they had six children. Jane was known as a devoted wife and mother, managing her household with faith, kindness, and generosity toward the poor.

Tragedy struck when her husband was killed in a hunting accident, leaving her a widow at the age of 28 with four young children to raise. Grieving deeply but sustained by her faith, Jane entrusted herself and her family to God’s providence.

A Spiritual Friendship with St. Francis de Sales

In 1604, Jane met St. Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva, who became her spiritual director and close friend. Under his guidance, Jane discerned a call to religious life, one that would balance deep prayer with active charity.

Together, they founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in 1610, a community of women dedicated to humility, gentleness, and service. Unlike other orders of the time, the Visitation sisters were initially intended to be less cloistered, welcoming widows, the elderly, and those not suited for more austere religious life.

A Life of Service and Compassion

St. Jane Frances spent the rest of her life establishing and overseeing new Visitation convents throughout France. Her leadership was marked by profound charity, wisdom, and perseverance in the face of hardships, including the deaths of loved ones, wars, and opposition.

She taught her sisters to practice “little virtues”—kindness, patience, humility, and joyful trust in God—believing that holiness was found not only in great deeds but in daily acts of love.

A Legacy of Holiness and Trust

St. Jane Frances de Chantal died in 1641, having founded over 80 convents of the Visitation Order. She was canonized in 1767 by Pope Clement XIII.

She is the patron saint of widows, forgotten people, and those struggling with loss and grief, a reminder that God brings hope and healing even after great sorrow.

A Witness to Trust in God’s Will

St. Jane’s life reflects the truth that holiness is possible in every state of life—whether as a spouse, a parent, or a religious. Her enduring trust in God and her commitment to living out His will continues to inspire all who seek to serve Him faithfully.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for us!