St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church, taught that holiness is for everyone, not only priests and religious, and is lived in the ordinary duties of each day. His Introduction to the Devout Life has guided lay people for four centuries, and his gentleness won back thousands of people to the Catholic faith. He is the patron of writers, journalists and the deaf, and the Salesians of Don Bosco are named after him. Below are prayers to St. Francis de Sales for peace of heart and gentleness, for writers and journalists, and for holiness in daily life, the truth about the “Be at peace” prayer, Scripture and his story.
A prayer to St. Francis de Sales
Written for this page:
St. Francis de Sales, gentle shepherd of souls,
you taught that every person can become holy in his own state of life.
Pray for me, that I may love God in the ordinary duties of my day,
be patient with my own faults and gentle with others,
and live in peace, trusting God’s providence.
Obtain for me the grace I ask: (name your intention). Amen.
A prayer for peace of heart
St. Francis de Sales often wrote to anxious people, urging them not to fear the future but to trust that the same Father who cares for them today will care for them tomorrow.
St. Francis de Sales, when I worry about tomorrow,
remind me that God, who loves me today, will be with me tomorrow.
Calm my anxious heart, teach me to do the next right thing,
and leave the rest to God. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page in the spirit of his letters. See the Catholic prayer for anxiety.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.
Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.
Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
A prayer for gentleness
Francis was by nature quick-tempered, and he said it took him years to master his anger. He became so gentle that people called him “the gentleman saint.”
St. Francis de Sales, teach me the gentleness of Jesus.
When I am irritated, help me to answer kindly;
when I am corrected, help me to listen;
and help me to be gentle even with myself. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
A prayer for writers and journalists
When the people of the Chablais would not come to hear him preach, Francis wrote short pamphlets and slipped them under their doors. Pope Pius XI named him patron of writers and journalists in 1923.
St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers and journalists,
bless all who write, edit and report.
Help them to serve the truth with charity,
to write clearly and kindly,
and to use their words to build up and never to destroy. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
The “Be at peace” prayer
A well-known meditation beginning “Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow” is circulated as St. Francis de Sales’s “Be at peace” prayer. It is a paraphrase of ideas from his letters of spiritual direction rather than a prayer he composed in that form, and the English versions vary. Its message, trust in God’s daily care, is authentically his.
The life of St. Francis de Sales
Francis was born on August 21, 1567, at the Château de Sales in Savoy, the eldest son of a noble family who intended him for a career in law and politics. As a student in Paris he fell into months of despair, convinced he was predestined to damnation, until, kneeling before an image of Our Lady in the church of Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, he prayed the Memorare and surrendered himself to God’s love; the anguish left him. He earned a doctorate in law at Padua but chose the priesthood and was ordained in 1593.
He volunteered to preach in the Chablais, a region south of Lake Geneva that had become Calvinist. Facing hostility and even assassination attempts, he persevered for four years with patience, preaching and his pamphlets, and much of the region returned to the Catholic faith. In 1602 he became bishop of Geneva, living in Annecy because Geneva was closed to Catholics. He was a tireless preacher, confessor and spiritual director, and with St. Jane Frances de Chantal he founded the Order of the Visitation in 1610.
His Introduction to the Devout Life (1609) and Treatise on the Love of God (1616) are classics of Christian spirituality. He died in Lyon on December 28, 1622, was canonized in 1665, and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1877.
Feast day and patronage
- Feast day: January 24. A novena can run from January 15 to 23.
- Patron of: writers, journalists, the Catholic press, the deaf, and educators.
- Symbols: a bishop’s vestments, a book, and a heart crowned with thorns, the emblem of the Visitation Order.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Francis de Sales the patron saint of?
Writers, journalists and the Catholic press, the deaf, and educators.
Why is St. Francis de Sales the patron of the deaf?
Because he taught a deaf man to communicate with signs so that he could make his confession and receive Communion.
When is the feast of St. Francis de Sales?
January 24.
What is the Introduction to the Devout Life?
His practical guide to holiness for people living in the world, first published in 1609, which teaches that devotion is simply a lively love of God shown in every state of life.
More prayers
- St. John Bosco prayer
- Memorare
- Catholic prayer for anxiety
- Surrender novena
- How to pray as a Catholic
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Philippians 4:4–7; Matthew 11:29, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life (1609) and letters of spiritual direction.
- The prayers were written for this page.