Saint Jean Marie Vianney

Jean Marie Vianney was born in France on the 8th of May in the year 1786. His godly mother raised him with the fear and love of the Lord. Having been raised during the French Revolution, Jean was deeply impressed with the bravery of the Catholic priests that would disguise themselves to give the sacraments to their little flocks. He had a very special devotion to Our Blessed Mother and begged her to one day help him become a priest. As Jean Marie grew in age, his desire to become a priest also grew more and more. Every day Jean and his mother would pray that God would give him the graces to be His servant, and every day the Devil would stand in the way of Jean’s future vocation. But in the end, God always triumphs. After many trying studies, Jean Marie Vianney finally became “Father Vianney.”

But still, the Devil had to put his filthy paws in the way. Father Vianney was not able to hear confessions because the authorities said that he was too “stupid” to give advice to anyone. Finally, after Jean’s many prayers and sacrifices, the authorities gave him permission to perform all of the functions of a priest. And as a priest he could finally save souls by giving them loving but firm guidance in the confessional.

It was soon decided that Father Vianney would be sent to a tiny French town called Ars, a town so small that no one had heard much about it. The new Curé of Ars, Jean Marie Vianney, saved many souls in Ars and won many hardened souls for Christ.  People from all over Europe came to Ars just to have him hear their confessions, causing Father Vianney to frequently spend up to sixteen hours daily in the confessional. For many years Father Vianney toiled for Our Lord with the special aid of his heavenly assistant St. Philomena, working with his God-given gift of performing miracles. Then, on the 4th of August in the year of 1859, God called Jean to Himself. Europe was in mourning, knowing that they had lost one of the best confessors of all time. Jean Marie Vianney’s body was exhumed in 1904 and was found to be incorrupt. It is now in the basilica at Ars and can be viewed by the public.