On November 5th we celebrate the memorial of Blessed Frances d’Amboise.

Frances d’Amboise, duchess of Brittany, was friends with the Carmelite prior general, John Soreth. One of those warm and human friendships between saints ensued. She introduced Carmelite nuns into her domains and eventually joined one of the monasteries herself.

Much of what we know about her comes from an unpublished life of D’Amboise written by John de Montay. In addition, some of her conferences given to the nuns survive today in the form of notes taken by one of the sisters. In these she stresses obedience, silence, and charity, especially in speech. A kindly and humorously despairing patience shines through these admonitions to correct constantly repeated faults. In 1621 Christopher LeRoy, a Carmelite provincial, wrote Les Saintes Ardeurs de la Mère Françoise d'Amboise, the first published biography of Blessed Frances, with a series of meditations.

Her husband’s successor as Duke of Brittany testified that Frances “always concerned herself with the public good and the preservation of the unity of our country and duchy.” Her husband, on his deathbed, gave testimony of Frances’ “good and agreeable services of great obedience and humility she has shown us in health and sickness.”

As a former duchess, she insisted on being treated as any of the other nuns. Later, as prioress, she taught, “We are all sisters wearing the same habit and making the same profession. The Rule is not longer for one than for another. … To consider and be concerned with who is the grandest lady and comes from the noblest and richest family is the doctrine of the devil.” These are strong words for a Frenchwoman in the age of Burgundian splendor.

In the 1866, Frances d’Amboise was recognized by the Church as a blessed. Ironically, there is no other period of time when the liturgical calendar was so enriched by so many new Carmelite beati as this period of time when the Order was on the point of extinction.

Prayer

All loving God, you called Blessed Frances d’Amboise

to seek your kingdom in this world

by serving Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother.

With her prayers to give us courage

help us to go forward with joyful hearts in the way of love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

To read more click here

Watch the video Carmelite Saints - Blessed Frances d'Amboise, by the Irish Province of Carmelites, here