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St. Francis de Sales might not look like the obvious choice for a “punk rock saint,” but his life was a quiet rebellion against fear, cruelty, spiritual elitism, and religious rage.

In this episode of Punk Rock Saints, we look at why St. Francis de Sales was so radical: his mission to Geneva and the Chablais, his use of written pamphlets to reach people who would not hear him preach, his gentle but courageous evangelization, and his deeply accessible approach to Catholic mysticism.

Francis de Sales reminds us that gentleness is not weakness. Holiness is not only for monks, nuns, or spiritual elites. And maybe one of the most punk rock things a Catholic can do today is refuse to become cruel.

We also talk briefly about my Catholic zine, The Margins: A Catholic Paper, and the first issue on Lazarus.

In this episode:

• Who was St. Francis de Sales?
• Why is St. Francis de Sales the patron saint of writers and journalists?
• What does Catholic “punk rock” mean?
• How did Francis de Sales make mysticism accessible?
• Why gentleness can be a radical act
• Catholic media, rage farming, and refusing cruelty