Chantal, Jane Frances de. Wings to the Lord. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul. 1987. Originally titled, St. Chantal on Prayer, this little book is a collection of the teachings of St. Jane de Chantal about prayer culled from her correspondence and conferences.

Chorpenning, Joseph F. Sermon Texts on Saint Joseph by Francis de Sales. Toronto: Peregrina Publishing Co. 2000. A contemporary translation of four sermons on St. Joseph. Also includes a history of the development of devotion to St. Joseph and a short biography of Francis de Sales.

Corrignan, Francois, The Spirituality of Francis de Sales. Bangalore: S.F.S. Publications, 1992. A compact study of the teachings of Francis de Sales in response to Vatican II's Universal Call to Holiness, with emphasis on interiority and liberty of spirit

Dailey, Thomas F., Praying with Francis de Sales. Winona MN: St. Mary's Press. 1997. Highly recommended book containing a series of meditations on various aspects of Salesian spirituality for individual or small group use. Each meditation includes an incident from Francis' life, readings from Scripture as well as from Francis, guided reflections, and suggested activities.

Dougherty, William N. trans., Spiritual Exercises by St. Francis de Sales. Toronto: Peregrina Publishing Co. 1993. A modern translation of the Spiritual Exercises or rule of life that Francis de Sales composed for himself when he was a student at Padua. A good guide for daily living.

Hollings, Michael, Daily Readings with St. Francis de Sales. Springfield: Templegate Publishers, 1986. A closely packed exposition of all the suggestions Francis found useful in leading others in the love and service of God.

Kirvan, John. Set Your Heart Free: Practical Spirituality of St. Francis de Sales. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1997. A gem of a little book which enables you to spend 30 days with a great spiritual teacher. Reflection for each morning and each evening on the same theme, practical and down to earth!

Klauder, Francis J. Every Day with Saint Francis de Sales. New Rochelle NY: Salesiana Publishers. 1997 reprint. A page of readings for every day of the year. Each page contains a brief selection from the writings of Francis de Sales, an episode from his life that occurred on the same day, plus one of his short maxims.

Kolencherry, Antony. Apostolate According to St. Francis de Sales. Bangalore: S.F.S. Publications. 1983. A series of lectures by various speakers in India on the apostolate prominent in the life of Francis de Sales. Among the topics addressed are: formation of priests, the role of prayer, effective preaching, spirtual direction, the family and youth apostolates, and the apostolate of the press.

Kolencherry, Antony. Prayer and Surrender to God. Bangalore: S.F.S. Publications. 1996. An in-depth study of St. Francis de Sales' Treatise on the Love of God. This compilation of lectures on the Treatise portrays the creativity and optimism of Salesian spirituality which makes life more human and worthwhile.

Koster, Dirk. Francis de Sales. Netherlands: Bert Post, Noorden. 2000. A completely new and insightful biography of Francis de Sales which depicts him in his foibles and faults as well as strengths and virtues. There is an honesty in the portrayal which increases one's appreciation of our saint as a very human person. Available only from DeSales Resource Center.

Meninger, William A., The Committed Life. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. 2000. A contemporary adaptation of The Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales designed to highlight the heart and charisma of de Sales' teachings. The author has captured the flavor of the original text.

Morel, Claude. Fifteen Days with Francis de Sales. Bangalore: S.F.S. Publications, 1952. Basic ideas of Francis' spiritual teachings. "Francis leads us to a holiness that is both attractive and challenging." writes the author.

Muller, Michael. St.Francis de Sales. Bangalore: S.F.S. Publications 1984. A thorough study showing five main principles of the Salesian ideal and then a sketch of particular aspects of a life based on this ideal. Excellent!

Perotta, Louise, ed., Live Jesus! Wisdom from Saints Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal. Ijamsville, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2000. A user-friendly sampling of the writings of Francis and Jane arranged topically according to spiritual themes popular today. An excellent introduction to their wise and gentle advice on how to attain the fullness of Christian life.

Power, Joseph. Francis de Sales: Finding God Wherever You Are. New Rochelle: New City Press, 1993. For those who wish to deepen their contact with God, and live in close relationship with him. Author shows Francis' way to live God's love fully with alacrity and intensity.

Quinlan, Gerard, ed., Reflections of Saint Francis de Sales on Living Jesus. Washington, DC: Fraternity Group. 2000. An anthology containing over 1100 brief segments from the writings of St. Francis de Sales that seemed noteworthy to Fr. Andrew Masters during nearly sixty years of spiritual reading. A valuable resource for daily meditations throughout the church year and/or for quotations on over 500 topics.

Ravier, Andre, S.J. Saint Jeanne de Chantal. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989. Well written, up to date biography of our foundress, St. Jane de Chantal. Highly recommended.

Ravier, Andre, S.J.. Francis de Sales, Sage and Saint. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988. Excellent biography of Francis de Sales, both "sage" and "saint". Also well written and up to date.

Sales, Francis de, Finding God's Will For You. Manchester NH: Sophia Institute Press. 1998. An excerpt of Books 8 and 9 from St. Francis de Sales' Treatise on the Love of God, John K. Ryan translation. This heart of the Treatise helps the reader find God's plan for his or her life.

Sales, Francis de. Introduction to the Devout Life. There are many editions available of this classic in western spirituality.

Sales, Francis de. Thy Will Be Done: Letters to Persons in the World. Manchester: Sophia Institute, 1995. Specifically, these letters have been selected to speak to men and women living with the everyday, ordinary challenges of life in the family, workplace, etc.

Sales, Francis de. Treatise on the Love of God. A bit challenging, this book contains Francis' theological, philosophical and spiritual teachings about the love of God. Again, it is a classic that may be found in most Catholic Bookstores.

Shannon, William H. Seeds of Peace: Contemplation and Nonviolence. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1996. The author indicates that we are living in critical times, not just for our country but for the whole universe. There are unprecedented ways of destruction, but also tremendous resources for creating and preserving peace. This book on contemplation and nonviolence offers the seeds for making a truly peaceful world because contemplation and nonviolence are truly the seeds of peace. His thesis is a beautiful 21st century picture of how to live Salesian spirituality.

Stopp, Elisabeth. Hidden in God: Essays and Talks on St. Jane Frances de Chantal. Philadelphia, St. Joseph's University Press. 1999. A collection of Elisabeth Stopp's unpublished essays and talks about Jane de Chantal. Her Madame de Chantal, now out of print, remains the outstanding biography of our saint. These talks represent the culmination of her life's work and reflection on Jane de Chantal, her personality and spirituality.

Stopp, Elisabeth. A Man to Heal Differences: Essays and Talks on St. Francis de Sales. Philadelphia, St. Joseph's University Press. 1997. A collection of some hard to find articles and hitherto unpublished talks about Francis de Sales. Elisabeth Stopp was steeped in Salesian spirituality. Her talks on Francis are perceptive.

Thibert, Peronne Marie. Francis de Sales, Jane de Chantal: Letters of Spiritual Direction. New York: Paulist Press, 1988. Listen to our mentors in Salesian spirituality speak to us in their own words. We hear words of kindness, encouragement, and common sense in their directions.

Van Kaam, Adrian. Spirituality and the Gentle Life. Denville: Dimension Books, Inc., 1974. One of my very favorite books on gentleness. It might be found in a parish library. The book is divided into three sections: The Gentle Life Style, Gentleness and Aggression, and Gentle Communion with Divine Mystery.

Wright, Wendy. Bond of Perfection. New York: Paulist Press, 1985. A beautiful treatise on the spiritual friendship of Francis and Jane. The idea began with the author's desire to understand more about women in the Christian contemplative tradition. She became enamored with Jeanne de Chantal and through this encounter was led to Francis de Sales.

Wright, Wendy. Francis de Sales. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company 1993. An excellent, easy to read distillation of Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on Love of God by a young woman, wife and mother, who grew to love and appreciate the wisdom of Francis and Jane.

Wright, Wendy M. A Retreat with Francis de Sales, Jane de Chantal & Aelred of Rievaulx. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press. 1996. The spiritual friendship between Francis and Jane in the early 1600's and the original, thought-provoking treatise on spiritual friendship penned by Aelred in the 1100's provide insights into the ways of befriending another in God. An opportunity to add a new dimension to your friendships.



SUGGESTED WEBSITES

Salesian Spirituality Sites

Salesian Studies at Allentown College

De Sales Spirituality Center