Jeanne-Francoise Fremiot wed a baron of unknowing large debts. Jane Frances took charge by personally organizing and supervising every detail of the estate which brought the finances under control and also won the hearts of their employees.

She shared her blessings by giving bread and soup to the poor who came to the door. Often people who had just received food, would pretend to leave, go around the house and get back in line for more. When asked why she let these people get away with this, she said, “What if God turned me away when I came back to him again and again with the same request?”

Her happiness was shattered when her husband, Christophe, was killed in a hunting accident. Before he died, he forgave the man who shot him. Heartbroken, Jane struggled with forgiveness for a long time. She was later able to forgive the man so completely that she even became the godmother to his child.

These troubles opened her heart for longing for God. She committed herself to Him and impressed Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, who became her director and best friend. With his support, Jane founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary for women who were rejected by other orders because of poor health or age. During its first 8 years, the new order was also unusual in its public outreach, in contrast to most female religious who adopted strict ascetic practices.

Still a devoted mother, she was constantly concerned about the materialistic ways of one of her daughters. Through prayer, her daughter finally asked her for Spiritual Direction as did many others.

“Should you fall even fifty times a day, never on any account should that surprise or worry you. Instead, ever so gently set your heart back in the right direction and practice the opposite virtue, all the time speaking words of love and trust to our Lord after you have committed a thousand faults, as much as if you had committed only one. Once we have humbled ourselves for the faults God allows us to become aware of in ourselves, we must forget them and go forward.”

She died in 1641 at sixty-nine years of age and was canonized in 1767.

She is the patron saint of mothers, widows, and wives.

Her feast day was moved from December 12 to August 12 to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

For God’s Glory.