Fr. Henri Chaumont, with his great apostolic zeal, founded many societies. Three remain active today: The Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales, the Society of Priests of Saint Francis de Sales and the Society of the Sons of Saint Francis de Sales.
The Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales
The Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales was co-founded by Fr. Henri Chaumont with Mme Caroline [Barbe Colchen] Carré de Malberg on October 15, 1872.
In 1889 some of the first lay Daughters answered the call to serve as missionaries in India. Fr. Chaumont gave them the additional title of Catechist Missionaries of Mary Immaculate.
In 1968, the Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales separated into two branches at the request of the Vatican. The two autonomous branches are together known as the Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales. They are united in a common spirituality, in two different states of life: lay and religious. The two branches are:
- St. Francis de Sales Association (lay branch)
The St. Francis de Sales Association is a universal private association of the faithful for laywomen under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. - Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (religious branch)
The Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (SMMI), co-founded with Mother Marie Gertrude, is for women religious under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life.
The general councils of the two branches meet together once a year in April. We share the same probations during formation and beyond consecration, and the SMMI make the same act of consecration that lay associates do at the end of formation, before they take vows. We are all, collectively, Daughters of St. Francis de Sales.
The Society of Priests of Saint Francis de Sales
The Society of Priests of Saint Francis de Sales for diocesan priests was founded in 1876.
The Society of the Sons of Saint Francis de Sales
The Society of the Sons of Saint Francis de Sales for lay men was founded in 1887.
Administration of the Three Societies
The societies of Sons and of Priests, as well as the two branches of the society of Daughters, each have a separate administration or council. Representatives from the four general councils meet yearly.
