St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers and journalists because of all the writing he did. For Catholic writers, St. Francis de Sales is perfect to pray with when it comes to being inspired in writing and when they might need a boost due to writer’s block.
Early Life of St. Francis de Sales
St. Francis de Sales was born in 1567 in France. His parents wanted him to be a soldier, and, even though he knew that he wanted to be a priest, he followed their directive and went to Paris to study. It was quite a few years before he actually became a priest. He wanted to be absolutely sure that this was his calling before he made a commitment.
After he became a priest it was evident that he did not have the gift of speaking and preaching but even so, he decided to go to Switzerland to try to convert people. The people he tried to convert would not listen to him, and, in some cases, abused him when he spoke, so he developed the first religious tracts. He’d write out his sermons and give them to people. It’s believed he converted 40,000 people with this tactic on that mission trip to Switzerland.
St. Francis also is known for giving spiritual direction to regular people other than monks and nuns. During this time, only holy people were given spiritual direction, but St. Francis thought everyone needed direction when it came to spirituality. He wrote with the intent of helping regular people find holiness in everyday life.
According to Catholic Online, St. Francis de Sales thought gossip and judging others was the worst sin and though people may say it is out of love, in reality, it’s just to make oneself feel better and look better. But he also thought everyone should try to forgive themselves for doing it. St. Francis died in 1622. His feast day is January 24.
A prayer found on 2Heartsnetwork for writers is as follows-
“Most loving and lovable Saint,
you preached to thousands with the pen,
introducing them to ‘the devout life.’
You wrote sublimely about God’s love
and made countless converts by your Christlike kindness.
Make writers realize the power of the Press
and inspire them with your zeal for spreading truth.
Help them to write honestly no matter what the subject,
so that they will really contribute to bringing about God’s Kingdom.
Amen.”
When you need patience in your writing, when you’re looking to be inspired, St. Francis de Sales is the saint to look to. Ask him to guide you to God and help you to be the best writer you can be. Think of his level of patience and how he helped others, and chances are you’ll be inspired to write something amazing.
