From Calvin to Crosses

That fateful day in 1517 when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Thesis caused a chain of reactions that splintered Catholicism.  By 1536, John Calvin, the founder of Calvinism, set out to "convert" the city of Geneva, the seat of the bishopric of St. Francis de Sales.

Monument in Geneva to
Protestant Reformers
Left to Right: Calvin, Farel,
Beze, Knox

Calvinism took hold in Geneva.  Most of the people were uneducated and followed the direction of those who they thought knew better.  Also, the law stated that the religion of the ruler would be the religion of the entire country!

Little at a time, Francis was able to win back the Calvinists to Catholicism even though he was never able to take his seat in Geneva, a sorrow that followed him for his entire life.  However, he did have his own way of getting the Catholic faith back in the minds and hearts of the people...

One of the first things that the Calvinists did was to destroy all of the Crosses that had been erected around Geneva.  So, when a rich person came to confession to Francis de Sales, he would give as a penance...you got it...erect a Cross in the place of the one that had been destroyed!

From Calvin to Crosses...quite the journey for the man of God, Francis de Sales!