- Our Saints
- Francis of Assisi
- Clare of Assisi
- Anthony of Padua
- Bernard of Corleone
- Jacob of Ghazir
- Curé of Ars
- Joseph of Leonissa
- Agathangelus & Cassian
- Anastasius Hartmann
- Angelus of Acri
- Apollinaris of Posat
- Bernard of Andermatt
- Bernard of Offida
- Bernardine Colpetrazzo
- Conrad of Parzham
- Crispin of Viterbo
- Didacus of Cadiz
- Felix of Cantalice
- Felix of Nicosia
- Fidelis of Sigmaringen
- Francis of Camporosso
- Francis of Bassost
- Ignatius of Laconi
- Ignatius of Santhia
- Innocent of Berzo
- Joseph of Dreux
- Laurence of Brindisi
- Leonard of Chatres
- Leopold Mandic
- Mary Martinengo
- Pio Forgione
- Seraphin Montegrano
- Solanus Casey
- Veronica Giuliani
- Nicholas of Gesturi

"Curé of Ars": Saint John Mary Vianney

St. John Mary Vianney was born in 1786 at Dardilly, some eight miles north-west of Lyons in France. It was two years before the first white settlers arrived in Australia in 1788 and three years before the horrors and persecution of the French Revolution in 1789.

He had great difficulties in studying for the Priesthood but was ordained in 1815 and became the Parish Priest of Ars three years later.

The people soon 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. A man who ran a dubious business that was the occasion of sin for many answered his humble objection by saying, "But a person must live," St. John Mary replied with much concern, "True, but one must also die."

By means of frequent instructions, he taught his parishioners about the faith and how to live it virtuously. He also spoke about vice and its tragic consequences.

Known popularly as the "Curé of Ars" (Parish Priest of the town of Ars) he became famous as a confessor with up to 20,000 people annually flocking from all over France to attend his Mass and be reconciled to God by his ministry. He spent 16 to 18 hours each day in the confessional.

He tried a number of times to leave all this and live a simple, quiet, contemplative life, but his bishop and the people would not agree to it and he remained in his parish.

Nevertheless, a quieter and more contemplative life continued to call him. He spoke of it to Pere Leonard, a venerable Capuchin of the Convent of Les Broteaux, of Lyons. He expressed a desire to join the Capuchin Order, but the discerning Capuchin friar told him that he would do more good remaining in his parish. The Curé persisted, and Pere Leonard told him about the Third Order of St. Francis and gave him the rule to read. Shortly after this he joined the Third Order of St. Francis. The incident, which took place in 1848, was enough to cause concern in the village. A rumour went around that he was going to become a Capuchin.

However, although the Curé of Ars became a Secular Franciscan (as they are called today) he remained in his parish and continued to work a twenty-hour day in which he passed the greater part in hearing confessions. He rose about one in the morning and walked the thirty metres from his presbytery to the church. There he rang the angelus bell, thereby announcing to all that he was ready to hear confession. He did this until he celebrated Mass at seven; after his thanksgiving he returned to the confessional, and spent the greater part of the day there. He emerged at eleven to give instruction in the faith to the people in the church and then went for his dinner which took about a quarter of an hour. After a visit to people who were sick he went back to the confessional. He came out again in the evening for night prayers. Then he retired to the presbytery and shut himself up in his room for about three hours. Perhaps living such a life style was the great miracle of Ars.

The Curé of Ars lived like that until he was 73 years old, then completely worn out, by his austere life and work, he collapsed on the 31st May and died peacefully on August 4th 1859. His feast is celebrated on that day.

St. John Mary Vianney as a member of the Secular Franciscan Order had a great appreciation of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Collette, a reformer of the Poor Clares. This is evident in the instruction on prayer, which follows:

An Instruction on Prayer

by St. John Mary Vianney. (From the Office of Readings for the feast)

Consider, children, a Christian's treasure is not on earth, it is in heaven.

Well then, our thoughts should turn to where our treasure is.

Man has a noble task: that o prayer and love. To pray and to love, that is the happiness of man on earth.

Prayer is nothing else than union with God. When the heart is pure and united with God it is consoled and filled with sweetness; it is dazzled by a marvellous light.

In this intimate union, God and the soul are like two pieces of wax moulded into one; they cannot any more be separated. It is a very wonderful thing, this union of God with his insignificant creature; happiness passing all understanding.

We had deserved to be left incapable of praying; but God in his goodness has permitted us to speak to him. Our prayer is an incense that is delightful to God.

My children, your hearts are small, but prayer enlarges them and renders them capable of loving God.

Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an overflowing of heaven. It never leaves us without sweetness; it is like honey, it descends into the soul and sweetens everything.

In a prayer well made, troubles vanish like snow under the rays of the sun.

Prayer makes time seem to pass quickly, and so pleasantly that one fails to notice how long it is.

When I was parish priest of Bresse, once, almost all my colleagues were ill, and as I made the long journeys I used to pray to God, and, I assure you, the time did not seem long to me.

There are those who lose themselves in prayer, like fish in water, because they are absorbed in God. There is no division in their hearts. How I love those noble souls.

Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Collette saw Our Lord and spoke to him as we speak to one another.

As for ourselves, how often do we come to church with out thinking what we are doing or for what we are going to ask.

And yet, when we go to call on someone, we have no difficulty in remembering why it was we came. Some appear as if they were about to say to God: "I am just going to say a couple of words, so I can get away quickly."

I often think that when we come to adore our Lord we should get all we ask if we asked for it with a lively faith and a pure heart.

St. John Mary Vianney recommended liturgical prayer to his people by saying:

"Private prayer is like straw scattered here and there: If you set it on fire it makes a lot of little flames. But gather these straws into a bundle and light them, and you get a mighty fire, rising like a column into the sky; public prayer is like that."

Prayer:

Almighty and merciful God, by your grace Saint John Mary Vianney was remarkable for his zeal as priest and pastor. Help us by his example and prayers to win our brethren for Christ by love, so as to share with them eternal glory. Amen.

Notes:

An Instruction on Prayer is found in the Breviary for the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, 4th August, Office of Readings, 2nd Reading.

Written by John Cooper OFM Cap. for the Capuchin Communication Centre, Leichhardt, Sydney