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The Patron Saint of Priests who barely made it through the seminary!
Intellect was not the greatest gift of St. John Vianney, but rather, a profound humility which gave him insight into the matters of life in a simple way that ordinary people could understand and which moved them. St. John Vianney, Cure’ of Ars 1786 – 1859Born in 1786 in France, John Vianney was born as the third of six children to humble parents. Spending most of his youth working on the farm, he left at the age of 19 to be tutored in the way of the priesthood by M. Balley, the Parish Priest at Ecully. Teaching in Latin, John’s youth had given him little time for the learning he would further need, but his profound desire and call to the priesthood along with the patience of his teacher resulted in him eventually catching on. War in the Life of St. John VianneySt. John Vianney’s life was sorely interrupted by the French Revolution. Although those studying to the priestly life at the time were not meant to serve in the army, he was accidentally overlooked and called to service. Sick and alone, nurses brought him back to health. Sent back to his barracks, he got lost, but was led to a communal village in the mountains of Le Ferez, staying there for 14 months. Brutal weather kept people from coming to the outpost for months at a time, and during spring, he’d hide behind stacks of hay in a barn. But a short time of respite came from 1806 – 1810 wherein he was able to leave the community and return freely. A Remarkable TransformationStruggling to finish his seminarian formation, he barely passed the tests required to become a priest. No one would have imagined the saint in their midst – until he began giving sermons. When his childhood father in faith died (M. Balley), St. John Vianney was named as Cure’ of Ars. Despite his difficulty with learning, he quickly began to draw large crowds to his powerful sermons. 20,000 visitors a year were coming to see him speak by 1855; he had a special gift that drew people to him: “The People noticed that he prayed with great recollection and celebrated Mass with deep devotion. They noticed, too, his mortified way of life, his love for the poor and the sick, his mild words to everyone. Very soon he had won the hearts of all.” John Cooper Death and IncorruptibilitySt. John Vianney was 73 when he died and because miracles had been reported throughout his life, his incorruptibility did not come as much of a surprise. He remains incorrupt until this day. Canonized in 1925, his feast day is August 9th. SermonsMany of his sermons are available today and are listed in the sources. Although The Sermons of the Cure’ of Ars contain more of a series of sermons, The Little Catechism of the Cure’ of Ars is written in catechism format with a definitive flavor of mystical theology in the format and teachings. Both are valuable sacred texts. Intellect was not the greatest gift of St. John Vianney, but rather, a profound humility which gave him insight into the matters of life in a simple way that ordinary people could understand and which moved them. Sources: The Sermons of the Cure’ of Ars – Translated by Una Morissy, The Little Catechism of the Cure’ of Ars – St. John Vianney, Cure’ of Ars 1786 - 1859
The copyright of the article St. John Vianney in Catholic Saints is owned by Marilynn Hughes. Permission to republish St. John Vianney in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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