Today we celebrate the feast day of St. John Vianney, the Curé d'Ars (1786 AD- 1859 AD). St. John Vianney's story is well known; his humble background, his lack of education, his difficulties in gaining admission to seminary, his struggles with Latin, and, following ordination, his humbling assignment to an obscure hamlet, Ars. Despite his academic difficulties and other misfortunes, St. John Vianney's manifest saintliness would soon draw thousands to that obscure hamlet, which his prodigious holiness had made famous throughout not only France but all of Europe. St. John Vianney had the gift of discerning souls, he could heal the sick, especially children, he possessed supernatural knowledge of the future, he spent endless hours hearing confessions, and he somehow subsisted upon practically no food, and very little sleep.
Although it would be marvelous to have a Curé like St. John Vianney in the local parish, I would settle for a priest who heard confessions for more than half an hour per week.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
