ron age ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁Pope ▁P ius ▁XI ▁proc laimed ▁him ▁a ▁patron ▁of ▁writers ▁and ▁journal ists , ▁because ▁he ▁made ▁extensive ▁use ▁of ▁broad sheets ▁and ▁books ▁both ▁in ▁spiritual ▁direction ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁convert ▁the ▁Cal vin ists ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁St . ▁Francis ▁developed ▁a ▁sign ▁language ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁teach ▁a ▁de af ▁man ▁about ▁God . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁he ▁is ▁the ▁patron ▁saint ▁of ▁the ▁de af . ▁ ▁Having ▁been ▁founded ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁non - clo ister ed ▁group ▁of ▁sister s ▁after ▁attempts ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁with ▁the ▁Vis itation ▁Sister s ▁founded ▁by ▁de ▁Sales ▁and ▁de ▁Ch antal ▁proved ▁un success ful , ▁the ▁Sister s ▁of ▁St . ▁Joseph ▁( f ounded ▁in ▁Le ▁Pu ys , ▁France , ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 0 ) ▁take ▁St . ▁Francis ▁de ▁Sales ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁pat rons . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁ ▁Cong reg ations ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁his ▁vision ▁for ▁religious ▁communities ▁was ▁rev ived . ▁Several ▁religious ▁instit utes ▁were ▁founded ▁during ▁that ▁period ▁for ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁des iring ▁to ▁live ▁out ▁the ▁spiritual ▁path ▁which ▁de ▁Sales ▁had ▁developed . ▁ ▁The ▁Mission aries ▁of ▁St . ▁Francis ▁de ▁Sales ▁( M . S . F . S .), ▁founded ▁by ▁the ▁Abb é ▁Pierre ▁M erm ier ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁con greg ation