Saint John Vianney (d. 1859): the global fame of a humble village priest

Summary:

The fourth of six children from a very modest family in the Lyon region, John Vianney came very close to not becoming a priest. His intellectual abilities were lower than average. Considered too slow, he was expelled from the major seminary in Lyon in 1813 and sent back to the priest who was sponsoring him (the same who had been hidden by Vianney's parents during the Reign of Terror). The latter convinced his professors that Vianney's piety could largely compensate for his ignorance, and he was able to finish seminary until his ordination in 1815.

The pastoral work that the saint accomplished in just a few years is absolutely incredible. Tens of thousands of people came from all over France and abroad to made pilgrimages to Ars, seek his advice, go to confession to him, entrust a relative or friend to his prayers, beg him to pray for a cure, and so on. But fame didn't change his character and humility. His daily schedule was grueling and exceptional for a priest of the time, and of today. He was constantly solicited, 20 hours a day on average, and would spend between 16-18 hours hearing confessions daily. 

He did all this, and many mortifications, while suffering from a variety of illnesses that any 19th-century person would often succumb to: pleuropneumonia, facial neuralgia, enterocolitis, dental pains, rheumatism, hernias, etc. In addition to his fragile health was his very ascetical lifestyle: he had only one meal a day, usually consisting of vegetables; inadequate sleep (on average 2-4 hours a night); a total lack of comfort (he used a simple plank as a pillow), etc.

The list of supernatural phenomena reported over a period of 40 years (during his time at Ars) is staggering: various miracles, 38 cures (all authenticated), prophecies, reading of soul (dozens of occurrences), diabolical attacks, apparitions and messages from the Virgin Mary, and more. Biographers have rightly emphasized the intensity and scale of the devil's violent manifestations (which he called the "Grappin" i.e the "grappling iron") against him. At night Vianney would hear taunts, harrowing voices, evil singing, or shouting. He was physically dragged from his bed and one night his bed caught on fire. In the winter of 1824-1825, the following occurrences were heard:  screams, roars, "mooing", howling of "wolves" and "bears"; knocks on doors and walls; appalling human cries (muffled complaints, moans, strident screams, etc.); sensations of brushes and strange "presences"; temperature variations in the room where he was standing (freezing cold in the middle of summer); "tongues of fire" on the walls, etc. One incident was particularly revealing of the devil's hatred against his piety: on several occasions, a painting of the Annunciation was found in the presbytery, stained with mud.

Saint John Mary Vianney showed extraordinary discernment as to the origin of these phenomena: he knew perfectly well that they were the work of the devil. Similarly, his rejection of spiritualism, which was very much in vogue in his day, showed his complete adherence to the teaching of the Church. What's more, when someone called him a miracle worker, he replied that the only one who can do good works is God, the source of all graces. He looked at miracles merely as a sign that God is all-powerful at all times, and can grant miracles in accordance to our faith. Outside this perspective, he wasn't interest in the miraculous in the least. Four times he tried to leave Ars for good, tired and afraid of being seen as a miracle-worker and at time an object of curiosity.

Although he wasn't well-versed in theology and had a mediocre education level, he had a solid common sense that never left him. Mystical theology and religious psychology were visible realities in his life. Seeing himself as a simple and unworthy instrument in the hands of the Creator, he placed the Lord's will above all else, and sought to obey the Church, which, as he inwardly knows, is its sole repository.

At no time has he ever been the object of criticism, reproach or doubt about his supernatural charisms: his miracles continued and actualize the Gospel to perfection. John Vianney was beatified in 1905 by Saint Pius X, and proclaimed a saint in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, who four years later named him the patron saint of parish priests. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed a ‘Year of the Priest’ in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of John Mary Vianney, the Patron Saint of parish priests worldwide.

Beyond reasons to believe:

Coming from an extremely modest background, with no real schooling, Saint John Vianney is to this day the perfect model for parish priests on how to run and sanctify their parish.

Going further:

The Secret of the Cure d'Ars by Henri Gheon, Sophia Institute Press (July 17, 2023)

More information:

• Cure D'Ars Today: St. John Vianney by Fr. George Rutler, Ignatius Press; 1st Paperback Edition (April 14, 1988)

• The Curé d'Ars by Msgr François Trochu, Caritas Publishing (August 4, 2018)

• The Sermons of the Cure d'Ars: For the Sundays and Feasts of the Year by St. John Marie Vianney, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 17, 2016)