St. John Mary Vianney
The world into which John Mary Vianney was born, at
Dardilly, near Lyons, on may 8, 1786, was not undisturbed one. When he was
three, the Revolution began and two years later Dardilly found itself saddle
with a constitutional priest, so the little John and his parents had to assist
in secret at the Mass of any fugitive loyal priest who came to the
neighborhood.
While
the Terror was going on at Lyon, Paris and elsewhere, he was learning to be a
herd-boy, shepherding the cattle and sheep of Mathew Vianney’s farm in the meadows
on either side of the little river blanches. He was a quite well behaved and
religious child, who urged his companions to be good and would always rather
“play at Church” than at games, through he had skill at quoits. He made his
first communion in secret, when he was thirteen years old.
At the
age of 18th he broached to his father his project of becoming a
priest. But the good man was unwilling; he could not afford to educate his son,
having already had to provide for other members of the family, and could not
spare him from the work of the farm, and it was not till he was twenty that
John Mary Vianney could not get permission to leave home for the neighboring
village of Ecully, where the Abbe Balley had established a
“presbytery-school”
His
studies were a source of great trouble to him; he had little natural aptitude
and his only schooling had been a brief period at the village school opened at
Dardilly when he was nine. Latin above all he found such difficulties in
mastering that foe a time he and his teachers were discouraged. In the summer
of 1806, he made a pilgrimage on foot over sixty miles and begging his food and
shelter on the way, to the shrine of St. John Francis Regis at La Louvesc, to
implore God’s assistance in his unforeseen obstacle. On his return he fount his
studies no easier, but the deadly disease of discouragement was gone.
In his philosophy studies he studied in petit seminary
at Varrieres. In the year of 1813, he went to major seminary at Lyons. There
since all the instructions were in Latin, although the authorities recognized
his quality and made special provisions and allowances for him, John Mary
Vianney made no headway at all. M. Balley at Ecully coached him privately, and
after three months he presented himself for examination. In his viva he lost
his head and broke down; the examiners could not accept him for ordination but
recommended him to try another diocese. His coach M. Balley met Abbe Bachard, one
of the examiners and he agrees to come with the Rector of the seminary and
interview the Vianney privately. After this interview, which was satisfactory,
they went to put the case of the most unlearned but the most devote seminarian
in Lyons, before the general, who was governing the diocese in the absence of
Archbishop. The general gave permission for John Mary Vianney, to be ordained,
for his model of goodness and holiness.
As cure of Ars he
lived in utter austerities especially the use of a cruel discipline and for the
first six years of his incumbency lived on practically nothing but potatoes,
seeking to make himself a sacrifice for the shortcomings of his feeble flock.
He had personally visited every household under his care and provided a regular
catechism class for the children, he set to work in earnest to make a real
conversion of Ars, by personal intercourse, in the confessional, and by
laboriously and delivered naturally, but not quietly. St. John Mary Vianney
knew what he preached and practiced the same. Though he was not expert in
Ecclesiology but he built a near perfect community of believers in Ars. Although
his knowledge of Christology was limited but he had the experience of the risen
Lord. He did not know much of Pneumatology but he was full of the Holy
Spirit.
At the
end of his earthly life, while lying down on his bed, he utters, “It is my poor
end.” Before receiving his last sacraments from the church he said, “It is sad
to receive Holy Communion for the last time.” On August 3rd the
Bishop of Belley arrived in haste, and at two o’clock in the morning of 4th
August, the earthly life of cure of Ars came to a gentle end. He was 73. Pope
Pius XI in1925 canonized St. John Mary Vianney. The same Pope made him
Principal Patron-Saint of all the Parish Priests throughout the world in
1929.
No comments:
Post a Comment