St. Jean Vianney: Role Model and Patron for all Priests

"Behold the power of the priest!

The tongue of the priest makes God from a morsel of bread!

It is more than creating the world...

The Blessed Virgin cannot make her divine Son descend into the host.

A priest can, however simple he may be."

~ St. Jean Vianney ~

John Cardinal Carberry's Prayer for Priests

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priests. Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of their priestly life.

In their loneliness, comfort them. In their sorrows, strengthen them. In their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show them that they are needed by the Church; they are needed by souls; they are needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your sons who are close to you because of their priestly ordination and because of the power which they have received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs them so much. Be their comfort, be their joy, be their strength, and especially help them to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests.  Amen.

Our Lady of Good Success Prophecies: Persecution of Priests; St. John Vianney

“The Sacred Sacrament of Holy Orders will be ridiculed, oppressed and despised, for in this Sacrament, the Church of God and even God Himself is scorned and despised since He is represented in His priests. The demon will try to persecute the ministers of the Lord in every possible way;  he will labor with cruel and subtle astuteness to deviate them from the spirit of their vocation and will corrupt many of them. These depraved priests, who will scandalize the Christian people, will make the hatred of  bad Catholics and the enemies of the Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church  fall upon all priests. This apparent triumph of Satan will bring enormous sufferings to the good Pastors of the Church, the many good priests…"

"How beloved are the priests of my Most Holy Son and myself.  I am the tender Mother of priests, whom I venerate for their sublime mission and love most tenderly!"

"From the 19th century onward, priests should love with all their soul John Baptist Marie Vianney, a servant of mine whom Divine Goodness is preparing for those centuries as a exemplary model of the humble priest.  He will not be from a noble family, so that the world will know and understand that in the eyes of God all that matters is profound virtue.

"This servant of mine, who will come to the world at the end of the 18th century, will love me with all his heart. By his words and deeds he will honor me and teach his companions to know and love me." 

[Mother Marianna (1563-1635),  St. John Vianney (1786-1859)]

~ Our Lady of Good Success to Venerable Mariana de Jesus Torres;

excerpts from The Admirable Life of Mother Marianna, Volume II by Fr. Manuel Sousa Pereira  ~

~ Excellent DVD about Our Lady of Good Success available from ProMultis Media ~

~ Much more information about Our Lady of Good Success found here and here. ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests.  Amen.

St. Jean Vianney: The Challenges of His Vocation to the Priesthood

Fr. Galen Bank speaks about St. John Vianney's role in the Church, his Spirituality and the challenge of the Priesthood to become another Christ. He talks about his struggle to become a priest, his own mentor, his holiness, and his astounding gift in the confessional that transformed his parish and the universal church. St. John Vianney, Curé of Ars, is the patron saint of priests (especially honoured during the 'Year for Priests').

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to odffer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests.  Amen.

The Life of St. Jean Vianney

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney's Prayer of Love for God

"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally....My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."

~ Saint John Vianney ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney: Spirit of Sacrifice

Fr. Bing Arellano, spiritual director of the Alliance of the Holy Family Intl., tells the story of St. John Vianney, a humble secular priest, who converted his parishioners and exorcised the demons of Ars, France with his deep prayer, holiness, and ascetical life.

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Prayer to St. Jean Vianney for Priests

O Holy Curé of Ars:

During this Year of the Priesthood,

we turn to you, the patron saint of priests,

asking your intercession for all those Christ has called

to serve us in this sacred ministry.

Help all priests to imitate

your total confidence in God’s grace,

constant devotion to prayer,

fatherly care for the poor,

humble willingness to serve the least,

contagious love for the Mass,

joyful fervor in teaching the faith,

willing martyrdom as a confessor,

and burning zeal to show us the path to heaven.

Gain for all priests, especially those who are struggling,

a renewal in the grace of their ordination;

aid the whole Church to grow in appreciation of the gift of the priesthood;

and shepherd in a particular way

those with the vocation to serve us as priests in the future.

Help us all to see and experience the priesthood

as the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Amen.

The prayer and a beautiful stained glass window of the Holy Curé of Ars was found at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Bedford, MA.

St. Jean Vianney: Holy Impatience

The Cure of Ars suffered wrongs to himself throughout the whole of his life, but especially during his ministry as a priest. He was mocked for being stupid when in fact he was just too materially poor to afford a good education. He was sent to “the worst assignment” in the diocese, the place where no other priest wanted to be assigned. Ars was known for its religious indifference, its high incidence of alcoholism, its tepid faith and widespread immorality. His candid denunciation of these sins, at least during his initial years, reaped sharp criticism and even slander. Dom Ernest Graf wrote of him, “The Cure’s success led to an explosion of rage on the part of his enemies: such a man was bound to make enemies! This fury vented itself in the vilest calumnies and the grossest libels… and no persecution was deemed too petty or too coarse where he was concerned.” Fr. Vianney responded not with anger or resentment but with increased prayer, greater fasting and patient endurance.

However, the Cure of Ars was not patient with wrongs done to others. He did not stand by idly when orphans had no one to care for them, when Sunday Mass and the Sabbath rest were neglected, and where sexual promiscuity was encouraged as a harmless pursuit when in fact it caused great unhappiness, broken hearts and sick relationships. He followed with courage the advice of St. Boniface, “Let us be neither dogs that do not bark nor silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf. Instead let us be careful shepherds watching over Christ’s flock. Let us preach the whole of God’s plan to the powerful and to the humble, to rich and to poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God gives us the strength, in season and out of season.”

Because his ministry began shortly after the Church’s bloody persecution during the French Revolution, ignorance of the faith was abysmal and religious practice was minimal or non-existent. In his preaching he targeted the sins, not the sinners, and did so with clarity, even vehemence. Because many frequented the taverns instead of the church on Sundays, he minced no words about the consequences. In one sermon, he declared, “The tavern is the devil’s own shop, the market where souls are bartered, where the harmony of families is broken up, where quarrels start and murders are done.” Eventually, every tavern in Ars closed its doors on Sundays; and morning Mass as well as evening Vespers became a widespread practice among believers. Sunday in Ars became, once again, the Lord’s Day.

~ By Bishop Thomas Olmstead: excerpts from here . ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Alter Christus: St. Jean Vianney and Priests

"Let us pray for all priests.Let us pray that in dioceses, parishes, religious and especially monastic communities, in associations and movements, an increase of prayer initiatives and in particular in Eucharistic Adoration for the sanctification of the clergy and for priestly vocations, in response to Jesus' invitation to pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest."

~ Pope Benedict XVI ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Philomena's Intercession for St. Jean Vianney

St. John Vianney, beyond any other Saint or Blessed, manifested an expansive testimony of faith and documented witness toward the reality of St. Philomena and her profound intercessory efficacy. The CurÉ, as recorded in the canonization process, attributed all the miracles documented at Ars to have been affected through Saint Philomena’s intercession; repeatedly spoke of having received apparitions of St. Philomena; and directly attributed his own personal miraculous cure from grave illness to her intercession.

~ From the Universal Living Rosary Association ~

Learn more about St. Jean Vianney's special intercessor, St. Philomena, here.

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Echaristic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. Jerabek's Lenten Reading Plans

Many thanks to Fr. Jerabek of Huntsville, Alabama for the time and effort put into compiling and making available four Lenten reading plans--collections of readings for every day during Lent. Readers can choose from these reading plans: Church Fathers, Lives of the great Saints, St. John Vianney, or Fr. Faber and Cardinal Newman.

I hope you will take the time to look over the readings that Fr. Jerabek has offered for readers' spiritual enrichment during Lent. One of them might be just what the Holy Spirit is suggesting for your own personal spiritual growth.

Thanks to Jane from Spiritual Mothers of Priests (who lives in France) for drawing attention to this Lenten reading plan of Fr. Jerabek from the USA that she learned about from UK's Fr. Tim Finigan, of The Hermeneutic of Continuity.

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

The Blessed Mother's Heart of Love and Mercy

"The heart of this good Mother is all love and mercy;

she desires only to see us happy.

We have only to turn to her to be heard.

The Son has His justice;

the Mother has nothing but her love."

~ St. Jean Vianney ~

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Sisters Speak About the Year for Priests

"The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven:

it is he who opens the door;

he is the steward of the good Lord;

the administrator of His good..."

~ St. John Marie Vianney, Patron Saint of Priests ~

One of my very favorite inspiring true stories about the power of prayer for priests is also about Bishop William Ketteler, the same bishop mentioned by Sister in the above video. For more details about the God-given relationship between Bishop Ketteler and his humble spiritual mother, click here.

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

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AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS

St. Jean Vianney, Model of Priestly Holiness

MORE ABOUT ST. JEAN VIANNEY, PATRON SAINT OF ALL PRIESTS

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's Request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney Encourages Eucharistic Adoration

"If we really loved the good God,

we should make it our joy and happiness

to come and spend a few moments to adore Him,

and ask Him for the grace of forgiveness;

and we should regard these moments

as the happiest of our lives."

~ St. Jean Vianney ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney: The Power of Sacrifice

When St. Jean Marie Vianney, a simple and humble priest, was assigned to the parish at Ars, he faced the challenge of spiritually renewing parishioners addicted to drinking, excessive pleasure, blasphemy, impurity and not keeping holy the Lord's Day. His first and abiding strategy for their conversion was prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, where he poured out his heart to Jesus, begging on behalf of the people entrusted to his care. He pleaded for the strength to give more to God and for the grace of suffering for their conversion: "My God, I consent to suffer all that You may wish for all my life...for a hundred years...and the most bitter suffering, but convert them...".

In those early days at Ars, St. Jean slept on the hard floor, ate only enough to sustain life, and slept very little. He said of the devil, "That which beats him is the curtailment of one's food, drink, and sleep. There is nothing the devil fears more; consequently, nothing is more pleasing to God..it happened at times that I refrained from food for entire days. On those occasions I obtained, both for myself and for others, whatsoever I asked of Almighty God...I spent a good part of the night in the church; there were not so many people to confess, and the good God granted me extraordinary graces."

Only God knows how many souls were stolen from the devil through St. Jean Vianney's life of deep prayer, penitential practices, and many sufferings. Is it any wonder that the Holy Spirit inspired that he be chosen as patron and role model for priests? This humble priest, who was criticized and belittled by many brother priests, has been elevated to Sainthood and as patron of all priests, but we know little of those who thought they were better than St. Jean.

St. Jean's extraordinary sacrifices, effective for helping to save souls, are possibly not appealing to most of today's Christians. Could it be that many, or most, Christians remain in the stage of spiritual infancy, wanting more to receive than to give back to God, wanting to be coddled more than to contribute? St. Jean Vianney had progressed to spiritual maturity where he desired always to give more, no matter what the cost to him personally. There is a price to pay for the sanctification of souls, just as Jesus paid for our salvation with His suffering and death; and St. Jean was willing to pay it.

40 DAYS FOR LIFE DAY 17: What does God have in store?

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney's Love for Jesus in the Eucharist

St. Jean Vianney, formerly patron of parish priests and recently proclaimed patron of all priests by Pope Benedict XVI, was born and raised in a small, poor village in France. Despite having educational disadvantages that made it difficult to study for the priesthood, and despite suffering the humiliations involved in lagging behind his fellow students, St. Jean was ordained to the priesthood.

St. Jean's first assignment as pastor was at Ars, a very small, poor, village whose few inhabitants were indifferent to religion, but were absorbed in worldly pleasures. It is doubtful that any other priests envied him his assignment. St. Jean walked about nineteen miles to reach Ars. Upon entering the parish boundary, he knelt and prayed before continuing on to his new home.

St. Jean wasted no time in becoming acquainted with his parishioners. He was quickly able to discern the spiritual impoverishment of his people. He had no disadvantages when it came to what was most important in being a good pastor of souls. When a neighbor man satisfied his curiosity as to what the pastor was doing at church so early every morning, he discovered St. Jean prostrate on the floor or kneeling with outstretched hands groaning and weeping in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, begging God to convert His people of Ars.

Through his example and preaching, St. Jean inspired his parishioners to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion frequently, and to make visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, knowing that love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is a powerful means of spiritual renewal. He was known for his ardent love of Jesus in the Eucharist, and when his people needed him they knew where to find him, because he was usually in church. Some of his sentiments about our Eucharistic Lord follow:

"...if we had the eyes of angels with which to see Our lord Jesus Christ Who is here present on this altar and who is looking at us...how we should love Him!"

"What happiness do we not feel in the Presence of God when we feel ourselves alone at His feet before the Holy tabernacle!"

"How pleasing to Him is the short quarter of an hour that we steal from our occupations from something of no use to come and pray to Him, to visit Him, to console Him for all the outrages He receives!"

AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS

40 DAYS FOR LIFE DAY 16: Action needed; 40 Days for Life under attack!

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney and St. Philomena

Today is the Feast Day of St. Jean Vianney, Patron of Priests. This simple,humble priest has been set apart as a special example of priestly holiness and fruitful ministry. He had a special devotion to St. Philomena, attributing all of the miracles worked through him to her. He said, "I have never asked for anything through the intercession of my Little Saint without having been answered."

(On the link for St. Philomena, don't miss under the 'About' column--a very good article, among others, about St. John and his devotion to St. Philomena titled "St. Jean Vianney," and "The Story" of St. Philomena in which she reveals what really happened to her.)

The Feast Day of St. Jean Vianney is a very special day in the life of one spiritual mother of priests--Rita Andrich. Her husband died in 1992 and was buried on the feast of St. Jean Vianney. After her husband's death, Rita read the story of St. John's life, learning about the powerful role that St. Philomena played as intercessor to support him in his priestly ministry. As a result, she was inspired to offer her life for priests and to write the following prayer.

Prayer For Priests Through the Intercession of St. Philomena

We come to you, dear St. Philomena, known as "all powerful with God" and ask your intercession for all of our beloved priests.

Champion of chastity and purity, intercede for them when they are being tempted so that they may remain faithful to their promise of celibacy.

St. John Vianney, patron of priests, asked your help so often

and you pleaded to Jesus for his intentions.

Ask Jesus for us to protect our beloved priests with His Precious Blood

and to keep them safe from the attacks of the evil one.

Oh sweet, St. Philomena,

you were given the grace to stand faithful to Jesus

in the midst of imprisonment, scourging, the blows of arrows,

attempted drowning and finally the cruel death of being beheaded.

Help all priests to stand firm for the truths of the Gospel

and teachings of the Magisterium.

Thank you, St. Philomena, for your intercession.

Help us all to follow your example and to remain faithful

so that we too may reach our Heavenly Home

and join you, St. John Vianney,

and the Communion of Saints as Church Triumphant. Amen.

(by Rita Andrich)

In the years since Rita first offered her life for priests, she has been an active participant and promoter of the Prayer Wheel of Support for Priests. She has helped distribute to priests Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida's book To My Priests--in which Jesus speaks to His priests through confidences given to Venerable Concepcion (currently unavailable). She is eager to share information about the Prayer Wheel of Support for Priests, Spiritual Motherhood for Priests, and the life and writings of Venerable Concepcion and Venerable Felix de Jesus. She can be reached at apostolate4priests@zoominternet.net. God bless Rita for her faithfulness to You and her holy zeal for the spiritual welfare of Your priests!

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. James Farfaglia: The Eucharist and the Priest

Father James Farfaglia has posted an excellent homily to his blog--including instruction on transubstantiation, quotes of St. Jean Vianney, and suggestions on what we can do for priests. God bless him for sharing his thoughts with not only his own parishioners, but with all the people of the world who are blessed to discover and read his words!

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all Priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

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Statue of St. Jean Vianney located at the St. Jean Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver

Photo by James Baca ~ Designed by Jorge Paredes

Jesus Christ is Truth!

Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, is really Present in every Host consecrated by a duly ordained Catholic priest--BECAUSE JESUS SAID SO! At the Last Supper Jesus said the words that changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood and instructed His apostles, His first priests, to do the same in remembrance of Him. By the power vested in them by Jesus, through His Church in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, His priests still stand in His place and repeat those same words with the same effect.

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The Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ are hidden under the humble disguise of a wafer of bread. Jesus asks us to believe this truth just as He asked His first apostles and disciples. He also told us that those who believe without seeing will be blessed.

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St. Francis of Assisi said about Jesus, "Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when He came down from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in lowliness when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar."

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Jesus is Truth! If we cannot believe what He says is true, then whom can we believe? I choose to believe Jesus. I don't know of anyone else who died on a Cross for me. Why should I not believe Him above all others?

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In our Catholic churches and chapels we have the opportunity to come in faith before our God and King! He makes Himself available for everyone without distinction. He welcomes each one with infinite love, as if they were the only one in the whole world that He had to lavish His love and attention upon.

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There is a tendency in human nature to take blessings for granted, as if they are deserved or merited. There is also a tendency to strive after what is scarce, expensive, or hard-to-get. Has Jesus made Himself too readily available to be appreciated by most of the people that He gave His life for?

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"Everyone is ready to run after the latest novelty...but as for Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, He is deserted and forsaken..." That is how St. Jean Vianney, newly designated patron of all priests, saw the situation in his time. In our day, can we say it is much better? There is a growing interest in and practice of Eucharistic adoration, but far from the groundswell that Jesus deserves.

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If we could see Jesus in His glory as He really is, and faith were not required, would there be room in our Catholic churches and chapels for all who would want to be close to Him? Those who feel the call to come to Him now in faith are blessed much more than they can fully appreciate. It is a great gift of grace, best not to be ignored.

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.