by J. B., a high school student in Northern Virginia
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Through her deep devotion to her husband, children, and God, Saint Jane de Chantal proved herself to be role model to girls and women of every nation. She devoted her life to conform herself to what she owed to God through the world despite the great obstacles and misfortunes that she had to overcome along the way.
Jane was born
in Dijon, France on January 23, 1572 the daughter of wealthy and well-educated wealthy
parents. Jane's mother died when she
was only an infant and she was cared for by her father, Benigne
Fremyot the president of the Parliament of Burgundy. Jane learned her religion from an early
age as well as the proper manners expected of a young lady of that time. Suitors soon surrounded her from which her
father chose one for her to marry when she was twenty. Her new name was Baroness de Chantal. There were seven children from her marriage of which three
girls and a boy survived. But after
just eight years of marriage, her husband was fatally wounded
in a hunting accident.
In 1604 Bishop
Frances de Sales was asked to give a series of Lenten talks at Dijon. Jane had heard of his
reputation and attended hoping that through him God might answer her prayers for a spiritual
director. He understood her soul and
they entered into a close spiritual friendship. Frances awakened in Jane the realization of
the need to create a religious community for women who were
of poor health, single, widows, or unable to live the more severe life required by some
religious orders.
Jane began by
gathering other interested ladies around her who pledged to devote their lives to this calling and
together formed a new religious order of women called the Congregation of the Visitation of the
Virgin Mary. But there were sometimes
personality differences which tested Jane's patience such
as the opinions of overly sensitive daughters of noble families who found it difficult to care
for the sick and dying and others who criticized and even opposed the ladies in their work.
The affairs of
her family, her children, and forming new convents often forced Jane to leave the convent and Annecy
in Savoy and return to her home in Dijon.
She was deeply saddened by the loss of her father
who had died only a year after she entered the convent, the death of Francis de Sales
her spiritual advisor, her son-in-law, and then a son who was killed in battle. It can be seen through her letters that she
often experienced times of spiritual darkness and dryness.
In 1629 a
terrible bubonic plague spread throughout France, and many Visitation sisters died. Although in great personal danger, Jane
refused to abandon her convent in Annecy and inspired the sisters to stay
and increase their efforts to help the sick and the dying.
Before Jane's
death, she had founded more than eighty Visitation homes, and since she had not yet visited them
all, she planned to do this to promote peace and charity. In 1641, Jane was invited by Queen Anne of
Austria to be recognized for her work, but while returning home, she became ill and died on
December 13, 1641 at the age of 69. She
was canonized a saint in 1767.
Jane was a humble, courageous and deeply religious
woman who was God's instrument in forming the Order of the
Visitation, and through which so many acts of charity were accomplished. She trusted in God through hard times when
her faith was tested and her life was in danger. Her charity toward others came from a heart
as Jane put it, "Content, as long as I know that God wills it and
that I am being faithful to what he wants."