St. John Vianney
| Saint John Vianney, T.O.S.F. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Tertiary and priest | |
| Born |
8 May 1786 Dardilly, Lyonnais, Kingdom of France |
| Died | 4 August 1859 (aged 73) Ars-sur-Formans, Ain, France |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 8 January 1905, Rome, Italy by Pope Pius X |
| Canonized | 1925, Rome, Italy by Pope Pius XI |
| Major shrine | Shrine of St. John Vianney Ars-sur-Formans, Ain, France |
| Feast | 4 August 9 August (1959) 8 August (1960s) 4 August (2007 onward). (General Roman Calendar) |
| Patronage | parish priests;Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney; Archdiocese of Dubuque; confessors; Archdiocese of Kansas City |
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, T.O.S.F. (8 May 1786 – 4 August 1859), commonly known in English as St. John Vianney, was a French parish priest who is venerated in the Catholic Church as a saint and as the patron saint of parish priests. He is often referred to as the "Curé d'Ars" (i.e., Parish Priest of Ars), internationally known for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish in Ars, France, because of the radical spiritual transformation of the community and its surroundings. Catholics attribute this to his saintly life, mortification, his persevering ministry in the sacrament of confession, and his ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His feast day is 4 August.
Vianney was born on 8 May 1786, in the French town of Dardilly, France (near Lyon), and was baptized the same day. His parents, Matthieu Vianney and his wife Marie (Belize), had six children, of whom John was the fourth. The Vianneys were devout Catholics, who helped the poor and gave hospitality to St. Benedict Joseph Labre, the patron saint of tramps, who passed through Dardilly on his pilgrimage to Rome.
By 1790, the anticlerical Terror phase of the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the regime in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. Even though to do so had been declared illegal, the Vianneys traveled to distant farms to attend Masses celebrated by priests on the run. Realizing that such priests risked their lives day by day, Vianney began to look upon them as heroes. He received his First Communion catechism instructions in a private home by two nuns whose communities had been dissolved during the Revolution. He made his first communion at the age of 13. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside. His practice of the Faith continued in secret, especially during his preparation for confirmation.
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