The Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS), commonly known as the Fransalians, is an international religious congregation of the Latin Rite in the Catholic Church. It was founded on October 24, 1838, in Annecy, France, by the Servant of God Fr. Peter Marie Mermier (1790–1862). Deeply moved by the pastoral needs of his time—especially the spiritual indifference and lack of religious instruction in post-revolutionary France—Fr. Mermier founded the congregation with a fervent desire to “renew the faith” and to “live Jesus” in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales.

The primary patron of the Congregation is St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), the gentle Bishop of Geneva, who is renowned as the “Gentleman Saint,” Doctor of the Church, and spiritual master of the “Devout Life.” His teachings on love, gentleness, humility, and the sanctification of daily life form the foundation of Fransalian spirituality. The secondary patroness of the Congregation is the Mother of Compassion (Mother of Sorrows), who inspires members to imitate her deep compassion and unwavering faith in the midst of suffering.

The spirituality of the MSFS is Salesian, rooted in the human and divine gentleness of Christ as lived and taught by St. Francis de Sales. Members are called to live the motto “To love and to make loved the Divine Savior”—a phrase that captures their commitment to spreading God’s compassionate love wherever they serve.