feast day: August 4
about:
- born: 8 May 1786, Dardily, Lyonnais, Kingdom of France
- died: 4 August 1859 (age: 73), Ars-sur-Formans, Ain, France
- patron saint of all priests
- real name: Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, T.O.S.F.
- often referred to as the "Curé d'Ars"
- was ordained a priest in 1815. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. His life was one of extreme mortification.
- Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested a imperturbable patience. He was a wonderworker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ.
- He heard confessions of people from all over the world for the sixteen hours each day. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925.
- He became internationally notable for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish because of the radical spiritual transformation of the community and its surroundings. Catholics attribute this to his saintly life, mortification, his persevering ministry in the sacrament of confession, and his ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Saint Philomena.
- After being drafted into the Army, he deserted and returned home and entered the seminary in 1823. He was assigned to Ecully. In 1818, he became Cure, as pastor of Ars. He worked 16 to 18 hours a day working in the confessional, administering the Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation. John died at Ars and was canonized in 1925. He was made patron saint of parish priests.
links/ sources:
- "John Vianney" (Wikipedia):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Vianney
- "St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney" (Catholic Encyclopedia):
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08326c.htm
- "St. John Vianney" (Catholic Online):
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=399
- "St. John Vianney" (American Catholic):
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1097
- "St. John Vianney Novena" (EWTN):
https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/Vianney.htm
- "The Life of St. Jean-Marie Vianney" by Paolo Risso (EWTN):
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/stjeanvianney.HTM
