For His glory. For our temporal and eternal good.
Who is Uncle Frankie?
“Uncle Frankie” is a personal nickname of mine for St. Francis de Sales.
St. Francis de Sales was born in 1567 to a noble family, in the midst of the Catholic v. Calvinist conflict plaguing France at the time. Ordained to the priesthood in 1593 and named Provost of Geneva in the same year, Francis developed a “rule of life” for himself that included not only daily Mass and prayer with weekly Communion but also a habitual “forward examination” (de la Bedoyere 35) in which he tried to anticipate his own upcoming spiritual battles. Finally, he incorporated into his routine a “sacred sleep” (36) in which he rested in God both physically and spiritually. On this foundation, he built a reputation of overcoming heresy via love instead of war - antithetical to his era - by playing with the local children, cultivating organic relationships with their parents, and simply talking to people.
St. Francis de Sales established thirty-three parishes in Huguenot territory, oversaw 450 rural parishes, and saw to it that the diocese of Geneva had clerical education programs for the first time in many years (de la Bedoyere 172 - 173). What few clerical standards existed at the time, he raised.
St. Francis de Sales was a revolutionary thinker in a dark period of French history. His idea was so utterly simple and straightforward, basic to us, even; yet it effectively unraveled Christian culture at the time. What was this bombshell of an idea? Simply this:
Anyone can be holy.
In essence, holiness is achieved by adopting a concise technique: seek nothing, refuse nothing. Don’t seek merely the good, comfortable, easy, indulgent: this is the path of ruin. Don’t seek out the bad, either: you have no need to carry a cross unintended for you. Don’t refuse the bad: a cross of any size, if intended for you, is yours to cheerfully accept. But don’t refuse the good: to spurn God’s gifts is as offensive to Him as dropping your crosses. Take what comes without making a fuss either way.
He was a phenomenal writer with a kind soul, whose ideas were sensible and standards sky high. He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1877.
I discovered St. Francis de Sales through the Introduction to the Devout Life. Upon reading this classic, it became so fused into my brain and soul that I never was quite the same. Now, Uncle Frankie’s Pen Pals exists to bring people to God through the theological literature and know-how that Uncle Frankie has entrusted to us.
Who am I?
My name is Erinn Dimond, and I’m a Catholic before anything else. I’m the wife of a devout Catholic, Disney-loving WDW Cast Member. I’m the mother of two: one baby in heaven and one on the way. I’m also a dog mom and the somewhat reluctant stepmother of a conure.
After earning a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and a Master of Art’s in English Literature, I started a short-lived career as a middle school English teacher. Having burned out quickly, I left the profession and became a freelance copywriter. I’ve been blessed to write for several Catholic clients, and it’s my pride and joy to use my skills for promoting these faithful businesses.
I believe in literature, I believe in the Catholic Church, and I believe that combining the two is the way that God has called me to make Him known.
When I’m not creating the next UFPP letter, thinking about UFPP, praying rosaries over UFPP, or yapping God’s ear off about my dreams for UFPP…. I’m probably reading a mystery novel, walking around a Walt Disney World park with my husband, or knitting an oversized sweater.
For His glory & our good.
To know God is to love God.
The more we can understand who God is and what He wants from us, the more we’re drawn into His love and warmth. Uncle Frankie’s Pen Pals exists to help people know God better, first and foremost.
To know Him and to make Him known.
The Church has given us a treasure trove of knowledge.
We have two thousand years of Tradition, all of Scripture, and ten thousand+ saints who have left us their ideas in writing. We don’t have to flounder in the dark searching for answers - one of the beautiful parts of being in the Universal Church is the wealth of guidance She offers!
Preserving literature in a post-literate society.
Literacy is dying. The evidence is in the widespread lack of critical thinking, language comprehension, and general intelligent independent thought in our society. Well, I’m not going down without a fight: I’m going to keep trying to reach as many people as I can with positive ideas about literature. I won’t let books fade away on my watch, and that includes the great works of theological writing that we’ve been blessed with as Catholics.