Jane Frances de Chantal

Saint Jane Frances Frémyot, Baroness de Chantal, was born in Dijon in 1572 into a noble family. Married to Baron Christophe de Rabutin-Chantal, she was the mother of six children, four of whom survived. Widowed at the age of 28 after a fatal hunting accident involving her husband, she dedicated herself to raising her children and to a life of piety and charity. In 1604, she met Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, who became her spiritual director. Under his guidance, in 1610, she co-founded in Annecy the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, a contemplative order of nuns whose rule was less austere than existing orders, thus allowing older women or those of delicate health to join. The order was characterized by a spirit of gentleness, humility, and fraternal charity. Mother of Céleste, future Princess of Condé, and grandmother of Madame de Sévigné, she was a prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation in France. She led the order with wisdom and energy, establishing numerous Visitation houses throughout France. She died in Moulins in 1641 and was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767.