Born to a peasant family near Troyes,[1] Auger entered the Society of Jesus and was personally mentored by Ignatius of Loyola.

He became widely known for his sermons, which drew crowds of thousands; contemporaries such as Étienne Pasquier praised his eloquence and called him the "French Chrysostom".

[2][3] In 1565, Auger became provincial superior of Aquitaine; by 1568, he won the favor of the politically active Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, who introduced him at the royal court.

Over the years that followed, Catherine became increasingly concerned by Auger's influence on the intensity of her son's devotional practices, fearing that he was prioritizing them over his duties as king.

He wrote statutes for two of these orders: the confraternity of penitents of St. Jerome of Toulouse, and the Congrégation de l’Annonciation Notre-Dame, the latter sponsored by Henry III.