June 16

St. John Francis Regis

Born into Nobility in France. John Francis Regis, also known as Jean-Francis Regis, was born on January 31, 1597, into a noble family. His father achieved nobility through good works during the Wars of the League, while his mother was born into nobility.
Devoted Life to Teaching and Preaching. At the young age of 19, he joined the Jesuit novitiate at Toulouse, and later took teaching posts at several colleges. This experience fueled his love for teaching and preaching, inspiring him to dedicate his life to theological studies and eventually, priesthood.
Ordained as a Priest at Age 31. Regis was ordained a priest in 1630 after undergoing theological studies at Toulouse. In the subsequent year, he made his university debut, marking the beginning of his apostolic career.
Dedicated His Life to Serving the Less Fortunate. He served those less fortunate, especially during the bubonic plague in Toulouse. He established the Jesuit College in Montpellier as his headquarters, where he worked tirelessly on various projects, with a key focus on converting French Huguenots.
Assisted At-risk Women and Orphans. His most notable work included helping at-risk women and orphans. To assist them, he established safehouses, provided jobs, and even started the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, which collected and distributed food and money to those in need.
Established Hostels for Prostitutes. As part of his mission, Regis set up several hostels for prostitutes, where they were trained to become lacemakers. This provided them with an income and protection from exploitation.
Evangelized Over 50 Districts. Invited by the local bishop to the Diocese of Viviers in 1633, Regis was tasked with evangelizing over 50 districts. His simple and direct preaching style appealed to the uneducated peasantry, leading to many conversions.
Passed Away at Age 49. John Francis Regis died from pneumonia on December 31, 1640, at the age of 49. He was canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church by Pope Clement XI in 1737.
Beatified by Pope Clement XI. On May 18, 1716, John Francis Regis was beatified by Pope Clement XI. He is now recognized as the patron saint of lacemakers, illegitimate children, and medical social workers in the Catholic Church.
Legacy Lives On. His legacy continues, with numerous schools and universities named after him, such as Regis University and Regis High School in New York. It is also noted that he spent many hours in prayer, often being reported to have out-of-body experiences.

John Francis Regis was born on January 31, 1597, in France. He is also known as Jean-Francis Regis. He is a notable figure in Christianity for the work he did throughout his life. John Francis Regis was also a French priest of the Society of Jesus and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Timeline of St. John Francis Regis

There were several notable events in the world at the time of St. John Francis Regis:

Johannes Kepler’s Astronomical Discoveries. In the early 17th century, Johannes Kepler published his first two laws of planetary motion (1609), fundamentally changing our understanding of the cosmos. His third law was introduced in 1619.
The Invention of the Telescope. The telescope, attributed to Dutchman Hans Lippershey, was invented in 1608. This scientific achievement profoundly impacted the field of astronomy and paved the way for discoveries such as those made by Galileo.
Galileo’s Confrontation with the Church. Galileo Galilei, the Italian scientist, had a significant conflict with the Catholic Church over his support for heliocentrism, leading to his trial and house arrest in 1633.
Publication of the King James Bible. In 1611, the King James Version of the Bible was published for the first time. This English translation has since become one of the most widely read versions of the Bible.
The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). This devastating conflict, which started as a war between Protestant and Catholic states in the Holy Roman Empire, became one of the most destructive wars in European history.
Settlement of Jamestown. In 1607, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, Jamestown, was established in Virginia.
Mayflower Voyage and Plymouth Colony. In 1620, the Mayflower sailed from England to the New World, leading to the establishment of Plymouth Colony, one of the first successful English settlements in North America.
The Ming Dynasty Ends and the Qing Dynasty Begins in China. The fall of the Ming Dynasty occurred in 1644, marking the end of one era and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

The Life and Works of John Francis Regis

John Francis Regis was born into a noble family. His father, Jean Regis,gained his nobility through his good works during the Wars of the League. On the other hand, his mother, Marguerite de Cugunhan, was born into nobility.

He attended the Jesuit College of Beziers. On December 8, 1616, at the age of just 19 years old, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Toulouse. Two years after this, he took his vows. Once he took his vows, he took a course in rhetoric in Cahors.

Following completion of this course in Cahors, John Francis Regis took up several teaching posts at colleges, where he taught grammar to students. The colleges in which he took up teaching posts included Billom (1619–1622), Puy-en-Valey (1625–1627), and Auch (1627–1628).

Furthering his love for studying, while taking up his teaching posts, he studied philosophy at the scholasticate in Tournon. While teaching grammar, John Francis Regis realized his intense love for teaching and preaching the word of God. He also had an intense desire to save as many souls as he possibly could.

As a result of this realization and intense desire, John Francis Regis undertook theological studies at Toulouse in 1628. At the age of 31, in 1630, he was ordained a priest. In the following year, he made his university debut.

In the summer of 1631, John Francis Regis began his apostolic career. He spent most of his time serving those less fortunate than he was. When the bubonic plague hit Toulouse, he undertook to care for several of the victims.

He had settled himself and made the Jesuit College in Montpellier his headquarters to work from. He utilized this space as his headquarters from May 1632 to September 1634. Here, he worked tirelessly in many aspects of life in this area, with his biggest project being the conversion of the French Huguenots.

Other work he undertook while having the Jesuit College as his headquarters included assisting the needy, withdrawing from vicewayward women and girls, and preaching the Catholic doctrine to children and the poor. His most notable work is the work he did for at-risk women and orphans.

To assist the at-risk women and orphans in the area, safehouses were built and jobs were given to them. He also established the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. This was a charitable organization that was run by John Francis Regis. They collected food and money from the wealthy and distributed it to those in need.

Furthermore, several hostels for prostitutes were established. In these houses, John Francis Regis trained the women to become lacemakers. This provided them with a source of income and prevented them from being exploited.

In 1633, the local bishop invited Regis to the Diocese of Viviers. Here,he was tasked with evangelizing several districts—more than 50, to be exact. These districts were in Le Vivarais, Le Forez, and Le Velay.

His hard work in these districts proved to be successful, and he reaped the benefits of this hard work. He used a simple and direct preaching style. As a result of this, many uneducated people of the peasantry grew fond of him, and several of them converted.

His good works were often seen as arrogance by other priests. As a result of this, conflicts often emerged with other priests, and there was a period of tension with the local bishop. The conflict often resulted in violence, which John Francis Regis condemned.

The death of John Francis Regis

At the young age of 49, John Francis Regis passed away from pneumonia on December 31, 1640. He was canonized by Pope Clement XI in Rome on April 5, 1737. He is now the patron saint of lacemakers, illegitimate children, and medical social workers in the Catholic Church.

5 Interesting Facts About St. John Francis Regis

On May 18, 1716, John Francis Regis was beatified by Pope Clement.
XI.
There is an altar dedicated to him in the Cathedrale Notre-Dame du
Puy.
He walked on foot from town to town, spreading the word of God.
His legacy lives on, with several schools and universities named
after him. These include Regis University and Regis High School in New York.
York.
He spent many hours of the night in prayer, basking in the heavenly
delights, and he was often taken outside of his body.

Prayer to St. John Francis Regis

O God, whose priest, Saint John Francis Regis, a friend of the poor, the sick, and the wayward, eagerly desired to evangelize the peoples of North America; grant, we ask, that we who serve You in his place may be filled with his same spirit of zeal.

Amen.