Teachers and Learners · Week 2 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Francis de Sales
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Francis de Sales
Two plans for one life
Francis de Sales was born in blank 1 into a noble family in Savoy, a duchy in the Alps. As the oldest son, he was expected to become a lawyer and a senator.
He studied in Paris and then at the University of Padua in Italy, where he earned a doctorate in law in blank 2. His father had a career and a marriage planned for him.
Francis had felt called to the blank 3 for years. He turned down both plans, respectfully, and waited for his father’s consent. He was ordained a priest in 1593.
The life of Francis de Sales
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1567 | Write your answer |
| 1591 | Write your answer |
| 1593 | Write your answer |
| 1594 | Write your answer |
| 1602 | Write your answer |
| 1609 | Write your answer |
| 1610 | Write your answer |
| 1622 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
How did Francis respond to his father’s plans for him? Circle one.
- A He ran away from home to join a monastery
- B He gave up his calling and became a senator
- C He declined respectfully and waited for consent
- D He asked the Duke of Savoy to overrule his father
Why is that the right answer?
Closed doors in the Chablais
In the 1500s, Western Christians divided into blank 4 and Protestants. The split was bitter, and both sides sometimes used insults, laws and even armies against each other.
In 1594 Francis volunteered to go to the Chablais, a region that had followed the blank 5 teaching of John Calvin for about sixty years. Almost no one would come to hear him.
So he wrote short blank 6 explaining Catholic belief, copied them by hand, and slid them under doors. He argued carefully and without insults.
After about four years, most people in the region had returned to the Catholic Church.
Cause and effect
Why did Francis begin writing leaflets? Circle one.
- A People would not come to hear him preach
- B His bishop ordered him to stop preaching
- C He was too shy to speak before a crowd
- D Printed books had been banned in Savoy
Why is that the right answer?
Before you post
Francis defended what he believed without attacking people. Sort each online move. Check one box for each.
| Item | Truth with gentleness | Not his way |
|---|---|---|
| Explaining why you disagree and giving your reasons | ||
| Mocking someone’s religion in a comment thread | ||
| Checking a claim before you share it | ||
| Staying silent about the truth so everyone likes you | ||
| Messaging a friend privately instead of calling them out | ||
| Posting a screenshot to embarrass someone | ||
| Waiting an hour before answering an angry message | ||
| Sharing an AI-made fake quote because it helps your side |
Virtues Francis lived
For each virtue, write how the saint lived it.
| Virtue | How the saint lived it |
|---|---|
| Gentleness | Write your answer |
| Truthfulness | Write your answer |
| Perseverance | Write your answer |
Holiness for whom?
What was new about “Introduction to the Devout Life”? Circle one.
- A It was the first book printed in French
- B It taught holiness for people in everyday jobs
- C It was written only for priests and nuns
- D It told the story of his mission in Savoy
Why is that the right answer?
Talk it over
Francis could not make anyone listen, so he wrote something short, clear and kind and left people free to read it. If you wanted to share something true and important online, how would you do it his way?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “I would start by ...”“To keep it gentle, I would avoid ...”“If someone answered rudely, I would ...”“The hardest part would be ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, you spoke the truth with love.
Give us gentle hearts and honest words.
Guide what we say, write, post and share.
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Francis was canonized in 1665. In 1923 Pope Pius XI named him patron of writers. His feast day is January 24.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Francis de Sales shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Choose one of the three virtue practices and keep it every day until next week’s saint.