Selected Letters of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is a Roman Catholic Saint, who founded The Congregation of the Visitation after the death of her husband. St. Francis de Sales was her Spiritual Director and a close friend. After St. Francis de Sales died, St. Vincent de Paul became her spiritual director. These letters, which date from a range of 1611-1641, were written to her saintly spiritual directors, her children and relatives, other nuns and religious, as well many others.

By : Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (1572 - 1641), translated by The Sisters of the Visitation

000 - Prefaces 001 - Judgement of St. Francis on the Virtue of Mother de Chantal and To St. Francis de Sales 002 - To the Same 003 - To M. Legros at Dijon 004 - The Duke of Savoy to St. Jane Frances de Chantal 005 - To Madame d'Auxerre, Foundress of the Monastery of the Visitation at Lyons 006 - To St. Francis de Sales 007 - To the Sisters of the Monastery of the Visitation of Annecy 008 - To Sister Jeanne Charlotte de Bréchard, Assistant and Mistress of Novices at Annecy 009 - To Sister Péronne Marie de Châtel at Lyons 010 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 011 - To the Same 012 - To the Same 013 - To Sister Péronne Marie de Châtel at Lyons 014 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 015 - To Sisters Péronne Marie de Châtel and Marie Aimée de Blonay 016 - To Mother M. J. Favre 017 - To Madame de Gouffier 018 - To Mother Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 019 - To Sister Marie Aimée de Blonay, Mistress of Novices at Lyons 020 - To the Same 021 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 022 - To the Same 023 - To Mother Jeanne Charlotte de Bréchard, Superior at Moulins. On the death of the Saint's daughter, Madame de Thorens 024 - To M. de Neuchèze, the Saint's nephew 025 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 026 - To Madame de la Fléchère 027 - To Sister Paule Jéronyme de Monthoux, Mistress of Novices at Annecy 028 - To M. Michel Favre, Confessor to St. Francis de Sales, and to the Religious of the Visitation at Annecy 029 - To Sister Anne Marie Rosset, Assistant at Annecy 030 - To Sister Paul Jéronyme de Monthoux, Mistress of Novices at Annecy 031 - To Madame de la Fléchère 032 - To Mother Jeanne Charlotte de Bréchard, Superior at Moulins 033 - To Mother Péronne Marie de Châtel, Superior at Grenoble 034 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 035 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Lyons 036 - To the Sisters of the Visitation of Bourges 037 - To the Sisters of the Visitation of Moulins 038 - To Mother Péronne-Marie de Châtel, Superior at Grenoble 039 - To Mademoiselle de Chantal 040 - To Mother Jeanne Charlotte de Bréchard, Superior at Moulins 041 - To Mademoiselle de Chantal 042 - To Sister Marie-Marthe Legros, at Bourges 043 - To Madame du Tertre 044 - To M. de Palierne, Treasurer of France at Moulins 045 - To St. Francis de Sales 046 - To Madame de la Fléchère 047 - To the Countess de Toulonjon 048 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Montferrand 049 - To M. de Neuchèze 050 - To Mother Anne Catherine de Beaumont, Superior of the First Monastery of Paris 051 - To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior at Dijon 052 - To Mother Anne Catherine de Beaumont, Superior of the First Monastery of Paris 053 - To Mother Marie Hélène de Chastellux, Superior at Moulins 054 - To Sister Marie Marguerite Milletot at Dijon 055 - To Sister Françoise Gasparde de la Grave, Assistant to the Superior at Belley 056 - To Mgr. the Bishop of Autun 057 - To Sister Anne Marie Rosset, Assistant and Mistress of Novices at Dijon 058 - To the Rev. Father Dom John de Saint François, General of the Order of Feuillants 059 - To a Religious of the First Monastery of the Visitation at Paris 060 - To the Countess de Toulonjon 061 - To Sister Anne Catherine de Sautereau, Mistress of Novices at Grenoble 062 - To Mother Anne Catherine de Beaumont, Superior of the First Monastery of Paris 063 - To the Same 064 - Mother Marie Adrienne Fichet, Superior at Rumilly 065 - To the Sisters of the Visitation 066 - To Sister Anne Marie de Lage de Puylaurens, Assistant and Mistress of Novices at Bourges 067 - To the Baron de Chantal, the Saint's Son 068 - To the Same 069 - To M. de Coulanges, Junior, at Paris 070 - To the Countess de Toulonjon 071 - To the Same 072 - To Mother Marie-Adrienne Fichet, Superior at Rumilly 073 - To Mother Anne Catherine de Beaumont, Superior of the First Monastery of Paris 074 - To a Visitation Superior 075 - To Mother Jeanne Hélène de Gérard, Superior at Embrun 076 - To Sister Françoise-Angélique de la Croix de Fésigney, Mistress of Novices at Riom 077 - To St. Vincent de Paul 078 - To the Countess de Toulonjon 079 - Extract from a letter to Mother Favre 080 - To Sister Anne Marguerite Clément at Orleans 081 - To Mother Catherine-Charlotte de Crémaux de la Grange 082 - To M. Poiton, at Chambery 083 - To Dom Galice, Barnabite Father at Montargis 084 - To the Same 085 - To Mother Anne Marguerite Clément, Superior at Montargis 086 - To Sister Marie Denise Goubert, of the First Monastery of Lyons 087 - To Dom Galice, Barnabite Father at Montargis 088 - To Sister Marie Aimée de Morville, at Moulins 089 - To M. de Coysia, Counsellor to the Royal Senate of Savoy 090 - To the Countess de Toulonjon, at Pignerol 091 - To Mgr. André Frémyot, formerly Archbishop of Bourges (the Saint's brother) 092 - To a blind Sister 093 - To Sister Bonne Marie de Haraucourt at Nancy 094 - To Sister Paule Jéronyme de Monthoux, Sister Deposed, at Blois 095 - To M. Noël Brulart, the Commander de Sillery 096 - To the Countess de Toulonjon, at Alonne 097 - Extract from a letter to M. Noël Brulart, the Commander de Sillery, at Paris 098 - To the Countess de Toulonjon 099 - To Sister Marie Aimée de Rabutin, Mistress of Novices at Annecy 100 - To M. Noël Brulart, Commander de Sillery, at Paris 101 - To Mother Marie Agnes Le Roy, Superior of the Second Monastery of Paris 102 - To Sister Anne Louise de Marin de Saint Michel, Superior at Forcalquier 103 - To the Abbê de Vaux 104 - To a great Servant of God 105 - To Mother Marie Aimée de Rabutin, Superior at Thonon 106 - To St. Vincent de Paul at Paris 107 - To Sister Claire-Marie-Françoise de Cusance at Gray 108 - To Sister Jeanne Benigne Gojos, Lay Sister at Turin 109 - To the Sister Louise-Angélique de la Fayette, at the First Monastery of Paris 110 - To Madame the Duchess de Montmorency (née des Ursins) 111 - To a Novice

We are all apt so to idealise the Saints whom we love to study and honour, and strive to imitate, that we are in danger of forgetting that they possessed a human nature like our own, subject to many trials, weaknesses and frailties. They had to struggle as we have to struggle. The only difference is that their constancy and perseverance were greater far than ours.

Biographers are often responsible for the false tendency to which we allude. They like to give us the finished portrait of the Saints, and only too often they omit in great part the details of the long and weary toil that went to make the picture which they delight to paint.

In the case of some of the Saints we are able to come nearer to the reality by reading the letters which have been preserved, in which in their own handwriting they have set down, without thought of those who in later days might read their words, the details of their daily life and struggle. Thus in the few selected Letters of the holy foundress of the Visitation which are now being published in an English translation we get glimpses of her real character and spiritual growth which may be more helpful to us than many pages of formal biography. In one place she excuses the brevity of a letter because she is "feeling the cold to-day and pressed for time." In another she tells a Sister, "do everything to get well, for it is only your nerves." Nerves are evidently not a new malady nor a lately devised excuse. She knew the weariness of delay: "still no news from Rome.... I think His Grace the Archbishop would be glad to help us.... Beg him, I beseech you, to push on the matter."

Haste and weather had their effect on her as on us: "I write in such haste that I forget half of what I want to say.... We will make a chalice veil for you, but not until the very hot weather is over, for one cannot work properly while it lasts."

What mother, especially in these days of sorrow and anxiety, can read unmoved the Saint's own words as she speaks of her daughter's death, and of her fears about her son. "I am almost in despair ... so miserable am I about it that I do not know which way to turn, if not to the Providence of God, there to bury my longings, confiding to His hands not only the honour but even the salvation of this already half lost child. Oh! the incomparable anguish of this affliction. No other grief can come near to it."

And then we feel her mingled grief and joy when at last she learnt that this, her only son, had given up his life, fighting for his King, after a humble and fervent reception of the Sacraments.

Thus in the midst of the daily small worries of life, and of the great sorrows that at one time or other fall to the lot of all, we see a brave and generous soul, with human gifts and qualities like to our own, treading her appointed path to God.

No one can read her words without carrying therefrom fresh courage for his life, and a new determination to battle steadfastly to the end.