St. Francis de Sales Sr. Sec. School was started in Janakpuri on 10 April 1978, by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, who are working in India since 1845. The school was Founded by Fr. Thomas Thoomkuzhy, msfs. The foundation stone for the building was laid on 09-07-1977 by Hon Shri Sikandar Bhakt, the then Union Minister for Works and Housing. The foundation stone was blessed by his Excellaency Rt. Rev. Dr. Luciano Storero the then Apostolic Pronuncio to india. St. Francis de Sales Sr. Sec. School is an unaided Recognised Christian Minority Private Institution affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education.
The First Academic Year of the School commenced in April 1978. The school, when it started functioning on 10th April, had 117 students and had a humble beginning in tents. The high school (9-10) began in the year 1982-83 and the first batch of 61 students appeared for their 10th class Board exams in 1983 – 84. The school was upgraded to Senior Secondary (11-12) the same year. The school is running classes from I to XII. The curriculum of the school is of the Central Board of Secondary Education and the students are prepared for the All India Secondary and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education. Hindi is taught as second language in all the classes. Every student from classes VI to VIII has to learn Sanskrit as the third language. Social Work and Vocational Guidance are recommended for all the students from classes VI onwards. Students are instructed to do their best for rural development, removal of poverty and to have a better understanding of the problems of the poorest of the poor.
St. Francis de Sales, a saint of the Catholic Church, born on 21st August 1567, at Thorens near Annecy, France, is the patron of Saint of the Congregation of fransalians. He was ordained a priest on the 18th of December 1593 and was consecrated as a Bishop in 1602. Francis was a pioneer missionary to publish the printed word of God. In 1608 , he published the “Introduction to devout life” and the “Treatise on the love of God” in 1616. He was beatified in 1661 and cannonised in 1665. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him Doctor of the Church in 1877.
He was a dynamic pastor, about a dozen missionary congregations hail the name of this spiritual genius by following his principles and practicing his virtues of patience, gentleness courage, spirit of poverty, self sacrifice etc.
Francis was a man of prayer and he conquered all by his gentle-manliness. Once St. Jane de Chantal asked whether he ever went for any length of time without actually and explicitly turning his mind to God and he said, “Sometimes for as long as about a quarter of an hour”. If we too could be like him!
He is the patron saint of the Fransalians, guiding us to live out his virtues of patience, humility, and heartfelt devotion to God.
Fr. Peter Marie Mermier (28 August 1790 – 30 September 1862) was a French priest from Savoy who tirelessly worked to rebuild the Church after the French Revolution and founded the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS) to minister through parish missions, education, and foreign outreach.
Ordained on 21 March 1813 at age twenty-three, Fr. Mermier immediately devoted himself to parish work and education. He taught local children by day while studying theology at night, and after three years was appointed to teach at the College of Melan and serve as Prefect of Discipline.
Recognizing the need for a dedicated missionary community, Fr. Mermier, inspired by the Salesian spirit, began gathering like-minded priests around 1826. In October 1838, with just eleven professed members, he formally founded the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS) to carry out parish missions, and youth education under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales.