Patron of PriestsUniversally known as the "Cure of Ars." St. John Mary Vianney was ordained a priest in 1815. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. His life was one of extreme mortification.
Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested imperturbable patience.
He was a wonder-worker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the Heart of Christ.
John heard confessions of people from all over the world for sixteen hours each day. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is reported that the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died on August 4, 1859, and was canonized on May 31, 1925, by Pope Pius XI.
PRAYER: Almighty and merciful God, in St. John Vianney You have given us a Priest who was outstanding in pastoral zeal. Through his intercession help us to win brothers for Christ and together with them attain eternal glory. Amen.