Jean-Baptist Vianney, Curé d'Ars, Spiritual Guide
4 August -- Commemoration
If celebrated as a Lesser Festival,
Common of Pastors, page 483
Jean-Baptist Marie Vianney was born in Dardilly near Lyons
in 1786, the son of a farmer, and he spent much of his
childhood working as a shepherd on his father's farm. He
had little formal education but, at the age of twenty, he
began studying for the priesthood which he found extremely
difficult. Despite his poor academic performance, he was
ordained in 1815, mainly because of his devotion and
holiness. He served as assistant priest at Ecully and, in
1818, was appointed curé, or parish priest, of the
remote, unimportant village of Ars-en-Dombes. From this
backwater, his fame was to spread world-wide. His skills in
preaching and spiritual counsel earned him a reputation as a
discerning and wise priest. His visiting penitents soon
numbered three hundred a day. He would preach at eleven o'
clock each morning and then spend up to sixteen hours in the
confessional. A Franciscan tertiary who reflected the
spirituality of Francis, his
compassion and understanding of human weakness often brought
him to tears. His love of God and his people ensured that
he remained in Ars the rest of his life, despite a call to
the religious life and many offers of promotion in the
Church. He died on this day in the year 1859.