Punk Rock Saints: Francis de Sales
From St. Anthony's Tongue by St. Anthony's Tongue
May 7, 2026 · 30 min
About this episode
This episode explores the life of St. Francis de Sales as a 'punk rock saint' and his radical approach to evangelization and mysticism.
Check out The Margins: stanthonystongue.com/margins 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
People in this episode
Host: St. Anthony's Tongue
Topics covered
- Saint Francis de Sales
- Catholic mysticism
- gentleness
- evangelization
- punk rock saints
- spiritual elitism
- Catholic media
Keywords
- St. Francis de Sales
- punk rock saints
- Catholic mysticism
- gentleness
- evangelization
- spiritual elitism
- Catholic media
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Margins
Books & works: The Margins: A Catholic Paper
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