St. Francis Borgia

Francis Borgia served Christ first amid the duties of a great Spanish household. A duke, husband, and father, he governed Gandia and served the crown before the death of his wife opened a new path of self-surrender.

After becoming a widower, Francis laid aside rank and entered the Society of Jesus. He chose obedience, preached, and gave his wealth and ability to the young order. Later, as its third superior general, he strengthened its discipline, schools, and missions while remaining a man of prayer and humility.

Francis shows that a Christian vocation can deepen in every state of life. The same man who bore public responsibility as a nobleman became a Jesuit leader who used authority as a form of service to Christ and his Church.