St. John Vianney

Feast Day August 4th

Patron Saint of priests, reconciliation with God, pilgrims

John Vianney was a man with vision: He wanted to become a priest. But he had to overcome his meager formal schooling, which inadequately prepared him for seminary studies. His failure to comprehend Latin lectures forced him to discontinue. But his vision of being a priest urged him to seek private tutoring. After a lengthy battle with the books, John was ordained.

He was sent to Ecully as assistant to M. Balley, who had first recognized and encouraged his vocation, who urged him to persevere when the obstacles in his way seemed insurmountable, who interceded with the examiners when he failed to pass for the higher seminary, and who was his model as well as his preceptor and patron. In 1818, after the death of M. Balley, M. Vianney was made parish priest of Ars, a village not very far from Lyons. It was in the exercise of the functions of the parish priest in this remote French hamlet that as the “curé d’Ars” he became known throughout France and the Christian world. A few years after he went to Ars, he founded a sort of orphanage for destitute girls. It was called “The Providence” and was the model of similar institutions established later all over France. M. Vianney himself instructed the children of “The Providence” in the catechism, and these catechetical instructions came to be so popular that at last they were given every day in the church to large crowds.

His work as a confessor is John Vianney’s most remarkable accomplishment. In the winter months he was to spend 11 to 12 hours daily reconciling people with God. In the summer months this time was increased to 16 hours. His advice was sought by bishops, priests, religious, young men and women in doubt as to their vocation, sinners, persons in all sorts of difficulties and the sick. In 1855, the number of pilgrims had reached twenty thousand a year.

On 4 August 1859, Vianney died at the age of 73 in Ars-sur-Formans, France. The greatest miracle of all was his long life. He practiced mortification from his early youth, and for forty years his food and sleep were insufficient, humanly speaking, to sustain life. And yet he laboured incessantly, with unfailing humility, gentleness, patience, and cheerfulness, until he was more than seventy-three years old. In 1929, Pope Pius XI named him the Patron Saint of parish priests worldwide.

Sources:

_{https://www.ewtn.com/saintsholy/saints/J/stjohnvianney.asp
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-john-vianney/
http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1787
http://catholicdoors.com/prayers/english/p00391.htm
https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/Vianney.htm}