▁was ▁ord ained ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 3 . ▁Im medi ately ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁promised ▁appointment ▁as ▁prov ost ▁of ▁the ▁c athedral ▁chapter ▁of ▁Gene va . ▁ ▁Pri est ▁and ▁prov ost ▁In ▁his ▁capacity ▁as ▁prov ost , ▁Francis ▁de ▁Sales ▁engaged ▁in ▁enthus i astic ▁campaign s ▁of ▁evangel ism ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁that ▁had ▁become ▁almost ▁completely ▁Cal vin ist . ▁Despite ▁de ▁Sales ' ▁ze al , ▁courage ▁and ▁p atience ▁he ▁met ▁at ▁first ▁with ▁absolute ▁failure ▁at ▁Th on on - les - B ains , ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ab lais ▁province , ▁where ▁local ▁H ug uen ots ▁refused ▁to ▁hear ▁the ▁el o quent ▁pre acher . ▁▁ ▁At ▁first , ▁Francis ▁lived ▁for ▁his ▁own ▁protection ▁in ▁a ▁for tr ess ▁g arrison ed ▁by ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Sav oy ' s ▁soldiers . ▁Several ▁times ▁he ▁escaped ▁death ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁H ug uen ot ▁assass ins . ▁As ▁local ▁Protest ants ▁refused ▁to ▁speak ▁to ▁him ▁or ▁hear ▁him , ▁Francis ▁began ▁writing ▁pam ph lets ▁which ▁argued ▁against ▁Cal vin ism ▁and ▁both ▁na iled ▁them ▁on ▁walls ▁and ▁sli pped ▁them ▁under ▁doors . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁this ▁and ▁to ▁Francis ' ▁subsequent ▁min istry , ▁ten ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁the ▁Cal vin ists ▁of ▁Ch ab lais ▁volunt arily ▁converted ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁which ▁their ▁parents ▁and ▁grand par ents ▁had ▁abandoned ▁sevent y ▁years ▁before . ▁Francis '