ST. JOHN MARIE VIANNEY

• Curé of Ars


  Jean Marie Vianney, a French priest who was assigned to the small town of Ars and worked to revive the faith of the people there
• When Jean Marie Vianney arrived in Ars, the people didn't go to church. Only a few women went to Mass and confessed their sins. The men and the young people of the town danced and drank
• As soon as he was ordained a priest, Jean Marie Vianney was assigned to Ecully, to assist the parish priest who had helped him enter the seminary
• In Ecully, Jean Marie Vianney and the parish priest lived as if they were monks. They ate very little and wore hair shirts, which were very uncomfortable
• Jean Marie Vianney enjoyed explaining the catechism to children and gave them examples of things from the countryside, which they all listened to spellbound
• On Sundays, Jean Marie Vianney gave a homily during Mass. He spent 15 days preparing his homilies and learned them by heart
• When Jean Marie Vianney was sent to Ars, he continued living as he had lived in Ecully. He visited the poor every day and brought them something to eat
• There was a very old woman in Ars who was blind and spent the entire day making wicker baskets. Jean Marie Vianney would bring her bread, but she thought it was some woman from the town because he didn't want her to know it was him
• A priest has to be like Jesus. People must see Jesus Himself in the priest
• Sister


  What the old blind woman called Jean Marie, thinking he was a woman from the town
• Jean Marie did not correct the old blind woman, because he wanted only God to know
• When Jean Marie arrived in Ars, the people didn't go to church. Only a few women went to Mass and confessed their sins. The men and the young people of the town danced and drank wine in the tavern.
• What Jean Marie did to change that

  1. Prayed for 3 hours straight in the church every morning at 4am

  2. Organised groups of women and men to speak to them about God

  3. Managed to change the town's festivals to religious ones

  4. Encouraged the entire town to attend Mass on Sunday
• Jean Marie: 'My God, if my tongue isn't capable of saying that I Love You at all times, I want my heart to say it with every breath.'
• The people were surprised to see the parish priest praying at 4 in the morning
• Jean Marie remained a moment contemplating Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament after the Consecration
• Jean Marie got the entire town to attend Mass on Sunday. The church was full to overflowing.
• Sunday


  The day of the Lord, where we put on the paten all of our work and all our rest and God transforms it into something holy, something His
• The citizens of Ars began to follow Jean Marie's example and took sick people and abandoned children into their homes. The entire town devoted themselves to works of mercy.
• Jean Marie decided to ask for money to build a girl's school and orphanage called Providence, which became too small very quickly
• Absolution


  God throws our sins over His shoulder, forgets them, reduces them to nothing. They will never appear again.
• Jean Marie spent 12 or 15 hours every day hearing Confessions
• Jean Marie: 'God is quicker to forgive than a mother separating her child from a fire.'
• People believed Jean Marie could see the devil
• Jean Marie's fame for holiness extended far and thousands of pilgrims came to Ars for him to hear their Confessions and to attend Mass
• Jean Marie was exhausted after hearing the Confessions of hundreds of pilgrims
• Jean Marie fell ill, so ill that the doctor told him he was going to die
• Jean Marie had dedicated his entire life to bringing people to God
• Holy Mass


  Renews the Sacrifice of the Cross, has an infinite value
• The Mass will be offered for Uncle Philip's intention