Born in France in 1572, her mother died when she was just a year and a half old. 

Raised by her father, who was a politician, Jane grew up to be a popular and elegant young lady. 

At the age of 21, she married Baron De Chantel and together they had six children but only three survived past infancy. 

In the seventh year of her marriage, her husband was killed by a friend in a gun accident. 

Jane took a vow of chastity and her faith, already strong, grew even deeper. However, she had an extremely difficult time forgiving the person who accidentally shot her husband, until, in 1604, she heard a sermon about love by St. Francis De Sales. 

After that mass, Jane talked to St. Francis, and, over time, he became her spiritual director. 

About three years later, with the guidance of St. Francis, Jane started a community for women who had been denied entrance into other communities. They would model the virtues of The Blessed Mother when she went to visit St. Elizabeth, which is why they came to be known as The Visitation Sisters. 

Focusing on humility and meekness, they became a cloistered community adopting The Rule of St. Francis and Jane took the name Sr. Jane Francis. 

St. Francis De Sales wrote his famous Treaty on the Love of God specifically for The Visitation Sisters. 

But, Jane’s life continued to produce suffering. Her only son, her son-in-law, and her daughter died followed by St. Francis. 

When all of France was besieged by plague she devoted all of her time and the resources of The Visitation Sisters to helping the victims. 

The Visitation Community grew quickly, and by 1641 they had expanded to eighty-six houses. 

While on a tour to visit some of her nuns, she died at the age of 69. 

St. Francis De Chantel, please pray for us.