On August 4, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. John Vianney, patron of priests. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney was a religious personality of great faith who addressed himself to the greater honor and glory of God and the salvation of souls. He accepted his obligation to holiness at an early age, and it took complete possession of him. At the age of 20, he was having great difficulty in his studies for the priesthood. It was only after much toil and trouble that St. John Vianney was admitted to the priesthood.
John Vianney, also known as the Holy Curé de Ars, was born May 8, 1786 in France to a family of farmers. He was ordained a priest in 1815 and became curate in Ecully. He was then sent to the remote French community of Ars in 1818 to be a parish priest. Upon his arrival, the priest immediately began praying and working for the conversion of his parishioners. Although he saw himself as unworthy of his mission as pastor, he allowed himself to be consumed by the love of God as he served the people.
Vianney slowly helped to revive the community’s faith through both his prayers and the witness of his lifestyle. He gave powerful homilies on the mercy and love of God, and it is said that even staunch sinners were converted upon hearing him. In addition, he restored his church, formed an orphanage and cared for the poor. He regularly visited the sick and families, and organised missions and feast day celebrations. His reputation as a confessor grew rapidly, and pilgrims traveled from all over France to come to him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and he would spend up to 16 hours a day in the confessional.
In his assignment as Parish Priest of Ars, St. John achieved something which many priests would like to have done, but which is scarcely granted to any. Not overnight, but little by little, the tiny hamlet underwent a change. The people of Ars were unable to remain aloof for long from the grace which radiated from the remarkable personality of their priest. It took St. John Vianney ten whole years to renew Ars, but the community changed so noticeably and to such an extent that it was observed even by outsiders. There was no more working on Sundays, the church was filled more and more every year, and drunkenness fell off. In the end the taverns had to close their doors since they had no more customers. Under his guidance the little village became a community of pious people, to whom all his labors were directed. He delighted in teaching the children their catechism and he did this daily. He taught the people love for the rosary and wanted everyone to carry one around at all times. It is truly astounding what St. John Vianney, with a staff of trained assistants, was able to achieve in the village in the space of a few years. John Vianney died on August 4, 1859.
