St. Jean-Baptiste Marie Vianney |
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 St. Jean-Baptiste Marie Vianney Born in 1786 Died in 1859 Canonized in 1925 Patron of parish priests and parish clergy. |
St. John Vianney was born at Lyons, France in 1786. John grew up on a farm and had little time for education in his childhood. When he expressed a desire to become a priest and entered the seminary, he had difficulties with his classes because of his lack of schooling. Despite this hindrance, John persevered and was ordained to the priesthood in 1815. Three years after his ordination, St. John was assigned to the parish at Ars, France. The people at his parish were lax in their faith and through the preaching and prayers of St. John they began come back to Church. John gained international renown as a confessor and as a compassionate pastor. As his reputation grew it was not unknown for him to spend more than 11 hours in a confessional in one day, he was known to regularly hear confessions for more than 16 hours during the summer. The penitents that came to John ranged from bishops to the very poor. During his life John was known to work miracles. John was known to have uncanny knowledge of past and future events. He could discern if the person confessing to him was holding something important back. John was also known to have miraculously healed people. John never let up in his work or his love for his people. During his life he established a home for girls and always continued his parish duties. Many of his homilies and writings are still in existance today. John died in 1859 and is known as the Cure of Ars, or Pastor of Ars, and is one of few diocesan priests in the Canon of Saints. John was canonizedd by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is the patron of priests and parish clergy. |
