St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572–1641) was a French baroness, wife and mother of six, who was widowed before the age of thirty when her husband was killed in a hunting accident, and who, under the spiritual direction of St. Francis de Sales, founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary for women who wanted to give themselves to God but could not bear the severe penances of the older orders. She knew deep grief, the struggle to forgive, and long years of spiritual darkness, and she became a saint of great gentleness and strength. She is the patron of widows and of parents separated from their children. Her feast day is August 12. Below are her story, Scripture and prayers to St. Jane Frances de Chantal.
A short prayer to St. Jane Frances de Chantal, written for this page:
St. Jane Frances, you lost your husband, raised your children and forgave the man who killed him.
Pray for widows and grieving families, for mothers and fathers,
and give me a gentle heart that is strong in trust. Amen.
Who was St. Jane Frances de Chantal?
Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot was born in Dijon, in Burgundy, on January 23, 1572, the daughter of the president of the Burgundian parliament. At twenty she married Baron Christophe de Rabutin-Chantal, an officer in the king’s army, and they had six children, four of whom survived infancy. Their marriage was happy, and she ran the household and estate with energy and cared for the poor of the neighborhood.
In 1601 her husband was accidentally shot by a friend while hunting and died a few days later. Jane was devastated. She struggled for years to forgive the man who had shot him, and in time she became godmother to his child. In 1604 she heard the Lenten sermons of St. Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva, in Dijon, and he became her spiritual director and closest friend. Together they founded the Visitation at Annecy in 1610, an order of contemplative sisters devoted to humility, gentleness and charity, open also to widows and women of fragile health. By her death there were more than eighty Visitation convents. Her letters reveal both her warm affection and the long years of spiritual dryness and temptation she bore with faith. St. Vincent de Paul, her confessor in Paris, called her one of the holiest souls he had ever met. She died at Moulins on December 13, 1641, and was canonized in 1767.
Scripture
St. Paul’s words about the widow who trusts in God (1 Timothy 5:5, Douay-Rheims):
But she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, let her trust in God, and continue in supplications and prayers night and day.
What is St. Jane Frances de Chantal the patron saint of?
- Widows
- Parents separated from their children
- Those who suffer the loss of a spouse or a child
- The Sisters of the Visitation
Prayers to St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Written for this page.
For widows
St. Jane Frances, you knew the shock and sorrow of losing your husband.
Pray for widows and widowers, that they may find comfort, strength for each day and a new purpose in God. Amen.
For the grace to forgive
St. Jane Frances, it took you years to forgive the man who took your husband’s life.
Help me to forgive those who have hurt me, one step at a time, with God’s grace. Amen.
For mothers and fathers
St. Jane Frances, you raised your children with love and gave them to God.
Pray for parents, especially those far from their children or worried about them. Amen.
Feast day
The optional memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, religious, is August 12. It was moved there in 2001 from December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded the Visitation Order?
St. Jane Frances de Chantal and St. Francis de Sales, at Annecy, in 1610.
What is St. Jane Frances de Chantal the patron saint of?
Widows, parents separated from their children, and those who have lost a spouse.
When is her feast day?
August 12.
More saints
- St. Francis de Sales prayer
- Patron saint of grief
- St. Monica prayer
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque prayer
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- 1 Timothy 5:5 (Douay-Rheims).