Today is the 150th anniversary of the day St John Mary Vianney, the Cure of Ars, a priest who was already famous in every corner of the world for his holiness, passed on most piously to his heavenly reward at the age of 73.
The life and example of this priest were such that in 1905 Pope Pius X proposed him as a model to the parochial clergy, in 1925 Pope Pius XI canonised him, 50 years ago Pope John XXIII dedicated an encyclical to his memory describing him as "a person who attracts and practically pushes all of us" to the heights of the priestly life, and Pope Benedict XVI this year took the opportunity of the 150th anniversary of his death to proclaim a Jubilee Year for Priests.
John Mary Vianney was born on May 8, 1786 in the town of Dardilly, France and baptised the same day. He was the third in a traditionally Catholic family of six children and grew up in his family's farm.
John Mary's family, together with other devout Catholics, continued attending Mass in secret, as it was illegal.
He received his First Communion during Mass at his own home, with the windows covered. His Catholic formation and practice continued in secret. John Mary learned how to read and write with the help of his older sister.
In 1802, the Church was re-established in France. This led to religious peace in the country. By this time, John Mary was thinking of his future vocation and longed for an adequate education. He was 19 when he got his father's blessing to leave the farm to be tutored by Fr Balley, the pastor of the Ecully parish, who opened a school for young men wanting to start preparing themselves for the priesthood.
Most of the classmates of John Mary were boys who did not have much difficulty in learning. Although John Mary was considered to be of average intelligence, he found it difficult to move ahead and keep up the pace with the other students, especially in the case of Latin.
It is said that, were it not for his very deep desire to become a priest, and Fr Balley's dedication and patience, he might have given up his effort to continue.
Another problem cropped up when he was called for conscription. The circumstances surrounding his experience in this regard led him to being considered as a deserter. In any case, an Imperial decree was passed in 1810 granting exemption from punishment to all deserters from the years 1806 to 1810. This enabled John Mary to go back legally to Ecully, where he resumed his studies and in 1812 went to the seminary at Verrieres. He was ordained priest on August 13, 1815 and was assigned to Ecully as assistant to Fr Balley.
In 1818 Fr John Mary Vianney was chosen as parish priest of Ars, then a village of 230 people, not very far from Lyons. Before going to Ars, his bishop warned him: "There is little love of God in that parish; you will be the one to put it there".
A few years after he went to Ars, John Mary founded a home/institute for destitute girls. It was called The Providence and was the model of similar institutions established later all over France.
While managing much money because well-to-do pilgrims took an interest in his charitable works, Fr John Mary understood that everything had been donated to his church, his poor, his orphans, the girls of his "Providence", his families of modest means. Consequently, he "was rich in giving to others and very poor for himself". As he would explain: "My secret is simple: Give everything away; hold nothing back". When he lacked money, he would say amiably to the poor who knocked at his door: "Today I'm poor just like you, I'm one of you".
At the end of his life, he could say with absolute tranquillity: "I no longer have anything. The good Lord can call me whenever he wants!"
Yet, his main task was the direction of souls.
In his Letter to priests for the Jubilee Year for Priests, Pope Benedict XVI says that by spending long hours in church before the tabernacle, John Mary Vianney inspired the faithful to imitate him by coming to visit Jesus with the knowledge that their parish priest would be there, ready to listen and offer forgiveness.
Not very long after his arrival in Ars, people from other places started going to Fr John Mary Vianney and the flow continued to grow. In 1855, the number of pilgrims to Ars had reached 20,000 a year. As time went by, the growing numbers of penitents from all over France would keep him in the confessional for up to 16 hours a day.
It was said that Ars had become "a great hospital of souls".
Fr John Mary used to say: "It is not the sinner who returns to God to beg his forgiveness but God Himself who runs after the sinner and makes him return to Him... This good Saviour is so filled with love that He seeks us everywhere".
In his time, John Mary Vianney was able to transform the hearts and the lives of so many people because he enabled them to experience God's merciful love.