Jane Frances de Chantal (single mom)

(1572-1641)

• – Born in Dijon, France.
• – Her dad raised and educated her and her siblings since her mom died when she was very young—she was well-educated.
• – When she was 20, she married the Baron de Chantal (Christopher). He was an accomplished, but penitent duelist and an officer in the French Army.
• – She is said to have managed her household well.
• – Her first three children died in infancy, after which she was blessed with one boy and three girls.
• – Her husband was killed in a hunting accident in 1601, thus she became a single mother.
• – She moved in with her aging father for a time since she had four small children.
• – In 1604, after praying for several years for a spiritual director and seeing a vision of a man during her prayers, she saw and heard St. Frances de Sales for the first time during a Mass. She was immediately convinced that he was the one from her vision and asked him to give her advice and guidance on how to proceed in the spiritual life.
• – His advice helped her to regulate/moderate her spiritual life.
• – During this time, too, she devoted much time to her children, to visiting the poor and sick, and to waiting through the night with the dying.
• – In 1610, with the help of St. Frances de Sales, she began the Congregation of the Visitation, a convent for widows and women who could not handle a more rigorous spiritual life. At first, their idea to have this type of convent, which was more open to living in the world to serve as many as possible while not being a part of the world, was resisted, but the Will of God prevailed. They used the Rule of St. Augustine and some other guidelines from St.Frances. He also wrote a book called On the Love of God specifically for Jane and her sisters.
• – While creating more convents (86 houses by the time of her death), she met and worked with St. Vincent de Paul.
• – To her devastation, St. Frances died in 1622.
• – In 1627, her son died in battle, leaving a widow and daughter behind.
• – During this time, the plague struck this part of Europe, but Jane persevered.
• – At many times in her life, St. Jane experienced interior trials but continued creating homes for widows, the poor, the sick, and the aging.
• – She died in 1641.
• see “Authentic Femininity, Lived” for references