THE SCHOOL’S HEAVENLY PATRON

“You can catch more files
With a spoonful of honey
Than with a barrel of vinegar.”

This school is dedicated to its heavenly patron St Francis de Sales (1567-1622). He was born on 21 August 1567 into a senatorial family in France where he was destined to work in government positions of authority. Instead, he felt called to become a priest in the Catholic Church. Within a few years of priestly ordination, Francis de Sales became the Bishop of Geneva, and became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the Protestant Reformation at that time.

Through his missionary efforts, he won back hundreds of Protestant Christians to the Catholic fold. He authored two well-known theological classics: Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God. As a Doctor of the Church, Francis de Sales is famous for his teachings on the Catholic doctrine. He is also known as the Gentleman Saint. He died on 28 December 1622, aged 55 years. He was canonized as a Saint in 1665.