Born to peasant farmers in France in 1786, Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney grew up in a family who had to practice their Catholic faith in secret during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. He grew up believing priests to be heroes and wanted to be one. After the Church was reestablished he was studying to be a priest and working to perfect his terrible Latin, when he got drafted by Napoleon’s army. John stopped at a church to pray and the army left without him. After a lot of work he was ordained and for 40 years served as the parish priest for the tiny village of Ars where he restored his church, started an orphanage, cared for the poor, and heard confessions for up to 16 hours a day for the 20,000 pilgrims a year who came to have “The Curé of Ars” hear their confessions.
CHALLENGE
St. John Vianney is the patron saint of priests, and one of the two most important sacraments priests perform is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. St. John Vianney said, “When you confess your sins, you take the nails out of Jesus.” Today, go to confession. Then after completing your penance, pray a Rosary for an increase in vocations to the priesthood.
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