The priest Raphael de Mosteyrin offers readers of Exaudi this article on the holy Curé of Ars, patron of parish priests and whose feast is celebrated on August 4.
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The Cure of Ars (1786-1859) was presented by Saint John XXIII, 100 years after his death, as a model and example for priests. In 2009, Benedict XVI named a priestly year on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. These are references to the greatness of the life of this simple priest, who was so in love with God.
During the first years of his life, attending Holy Mass was a truly dangerous matter for little John Maria and his family. They attended the Eucharist clandestinely to avoid being discovered by government agents.
John Mary had to make his first communion during a night celebration. The attendants came to it with bales of grass, pretending that they were going to feed the cattle. The example of those heroic priests, who exposed their lives so that the faithful could participate in the celebration of the Eucharist, made a deep impression on little John.
At the age of 17, John Mary decided that he wanted to be a priest. He had to overcome many obstacles, but, finally, he was ordained on August 13, 1815. From then on he worked tirelessly in a town called Ars. He deprived himself of even the essentials to care for all the faithful of his parish, the orphans and the poor.
He used to say that what will cause us the greatest admiration, during eternity, will be to see how we, being so miserable, have been able to receive such a great God.
On one occasion I spoke about the Cure of Ars in a school. A ten-year-old boy asked me in amazement how he could spend ten hours at a time, without stopping, hearing confessions for thirteen years. I think the only possible answer is that it was a demonstration of his love for God and his desire to be His instrument.
His years in the seminary were difficult. He had many difficulties in passing his subjects, especially Latin. To the point that he questioned whether he should be ordained a priest or not. The Archbishop of Lyon, in exile in Rome, was consulted for his opinion. Then, despite the fact that his last exams were not good, he asked: Are you pious? Do you have devotion to the Blessed Virgin? And when he was told that he was a model of piety, he decided that he should be ordained a priest.
His work as a priest was always accompanied by much prayer and much mortification. A fellow priest complained about the lack of effectiveness of his ministry, and asked St. John Mary Vianney what he should do to achieve more fruit. His answer was: “You have prayed, you have wept, you have groaned and sighed. But have you fasted, you have kept vigil, you have slept on the ground, you have disciplined yourselves? As long as you refuse to do this, do not think that you have done everything.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, regarding prayer, in number 2715: “I look at him, and he looks at me.” This is the answer of a peasant to the Cure of Ars, who had asked him what he said to Jesus when he prayed to him every day. His parish priest was surprised by the constancy of this peasant, who spent a good time every day in front of the Tabernacle.
During the last years of his life, he spent 18 hours a day in the confessional, as people from all over France came to confess to him. The center of his life was the Eucharist. “If we knew the value of the Holy Mass, we would die of joy,” said St. John M. Vianney.
He died on August 4, 1859, with a reputation for sanctity. On May 31, 1925, he was canonized by Pope Pius XI, who proposed him as a model for the parish clergy.
The canonization of Father Vianney in 1925 was exceptional. Firstly, because he was a parish priest, as there are few who have been named saints. But also because barely half a century had passed since his departure to Heaven.
