This document provides a biography of St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars. It describes his early life and difficulties discerning his vocation. He was ordained as a priest in 1815 and served as a curate before becoming parish priest of Ars in 1818. As parish priest of Ars, he devoted himself to prayer, preaching, and hearing confessions for long hours each day. Large crowds came to hear his instruction and seek his counsel. He lived a life of poverty, mortification, and prayer. St. John Vianney is renowned for his sanctity and pastoral work at Ars, where he helped transform the faith of the village through his preaching and confessions

1. Saint John Vianney
the Curé of Ars

2. St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney - Curé of Ars, was born at
Dardilly, near Lyons, France, on 8 May, 1786; died at Ars,
4 August, 1859; son of Matthieu Vianney and Marie Beluze.

3. In 1806, the curé at Ecully, M. Balley, opened a school for ecclesiastical
students, and Jean-Marie was sent to him. Though he was of average
intelligence and his masters never seem to have doubted
his vocation, his knowledge was extremely limited.

4. Young Vianney was conscripted
for the war with Spain. Napoleon, who urgently
needed recruits withdrew the exemption
enjoyed by the ecclesiastical students in
the diocese of his uncle, Cardinal Fesch.
Cardinal Fesch

5. Jean Ma Vianney went to the church to pray, and on his return to the
barracks found that his comrades had already left. He was threatened
with arrest, but the recruiting captain believed his story.

6. The mayor of Noes persuaded
him to remain there, under an
assumed name, as school-
master. - After 14 monthes he
resumed his studies at Ecully.

7. In 1812, he was sent to the seminary at Verrieres;
- On 13 August, 1815, he was ordained priest
by Mgr. Simon, Bishop of Grenoble.

8. He was sent to Ecully
as assistant curate.
The Pastor M. Balley,
had been the first to
recognize and encourage
his vocation.
He had urged him to
persevere when the
obstacles in his way
seemed insurmountable,
and interceded with the
examiners when Juan Ma
failed to pass for the
higher seminary. He was
his model as well as his
director and patron.

9. In 1818, after the
death of M. Balley,
John Ma Vianney was
made parish priest of
Ars, a village not very
far from Lyons.

10. He founded a sort of orphanage for destitute girls.
It was called "The Providence" and was the model of
similar institutions established later all over France.

11. Mother Marie de la Providence founded
the Helpers of the Holy Souls on his advice
and with his constant encouragement

12. John Ma Vianney instructed the children of "The Providence"
in the catechism, and these catechetical instructions became
very popular even with adults who listened, so that at last
they were given every day in the church to large crowds.

13. People began coming to
him from other parishes,
then from distant places,
then from all parts
of France, and finally
from other countries
During the last ten years
of his life, he spent from
sixteen to eighteen
hours a day in the
confessional.
His advice was sought
by bishops, priests,
religious, young men
and women in doubt
as to their vocation,
sinners, persons in all
sorts of difficulties
and the sick.

14. His instruction was characterized by common sense, remarkable insight, and supernatural
knowledge. He would sometimes divine sins withheld in an imperfect confession.
His instructions were simple in language, full of imagery drawn from daily life and
country scenes, but infused with faith and that love of God which was his life

15. The miracles recorded by his biographers are of three kinds:
1 - obtaining money for their charities and food for their orphans;
2 - supernatural knowledge of the past and the future;
3 - heal the sick, especially children.
Miracle of the exorcism of a child

16. He practised mortification from his early youth. and for forty years his
food and sleep were insufficient, humanly speaking, to sustain life.

17. He laboured incessantly,
with unfailing humility,
gentleness, patience,
and cheerfulness, until
he was more than
seventy-three years old.
-Beatified by Pius X in 1905
-Canonized by Pius XI in 1925
-In 1929 he was declared the
patron saint of priests
around the world.
-John XXIII wrote the
encyclical Nostri sacerdotii
primitias, presenting the
Cure of Ars as a model of
priestly life and asceticism,
of piety and worship of the
Eucharist, of pastoral zeal

18. Personal difficulties
-His father's reluctance,
-The need to do his part
in agricultural work,
- Lack of education in
the rural environment,
- His difficulty in learning
and memorizing
especially in the theology
courses in Latin

19. The secret of his generosity is found in his love for God, without limits,
in constant response to the love manifested in Christ crucified.
In this he based his desire to do all things to save and rescue
souls for Christ and to direct them towards the love of God.

20. "The priest is the love of the Heart
of Jesus" And like Christ, he feels for
his faithful a love that leads him
to the sacrifice of himself.

21. "Oh my God,
I'd rather die
loving you
than live a
single
moment
without loving
you ...
I love you, my
divine Savior,
because you
have been
crucified for
me ... because
you have me
crucified for

22. He tried to fulfill faithfully the radical demands that Jesus
proposed to the disciples when he sent them on the mission;
prayer, poverty, humility, self-denial and voluntary penance.

23. He so wanted to lead his faithful out of sin
and temptation - "Oh my God, grant me
conversion for my parish; I accept to suffer
everything whatever you want, all my life ”.

24. His parish, which only had 230 people was
profoundly changed. The people were very
indifferent and the men didn’t practice
religion. The bishop had warned John Ma:
"There is not much love for God in this
parish, you will put it there." Soon, even
outside his village, the priest became pastor
for a multitude from all over the region

25. The people were
drawn by his sanctity.
They wanted to meet
a saint, a man of
penance, so familiar
with God in prayer,
outstanding for his
peace and humility.
He was also very
intuitive to correspond
to interior dispositions
of souls and free them
of their burdens,
particularly in the
confessional.

26. APOSTOLIC ACTIVITIES
1 - He devoted himself essentially to the teaching of faith and purification
of consciences. These two ministries converged towards the Eucharist.
2 – he began by simply being present, like a silent witness of the
faith in non-Christian environments
3 – He was close to people, families and their concerns,
4 – he announced the gospel trying to awaken the unbelievers and the
lukewarm to faith; he was a witness of charity and justice.

27. Pastoral of confession
He tried to reform the
faithful in the desire for
repentance. He underlined
the goodness of God's
forgiveness. He was fully
available to penitents who
came from everywhere and
to whom he often dedicated
10-15 hours a day.

28. This was undoubtedly for him the greatest of his asceticisms, a true
"martyrdom"; physically, from the heat, the cold or the suffocating atmosphere

29. He also suffered morally for the
sins he heard and even more so
because of the lack of repentance:
“I cry for all that you do not cry ”.
In addition to the indifferent,
whom he welcomed in the best
possible way, trying to awaken
them to God's love, the Lord
allowed him to reconcile great
sinners and also guide towards
perfection the souls who desired it.

30. "He preferred
to present the
attractive face
of virtue rather
than the ugliness
of vice",
even when he
put sin and its’
threat to
salvation before
them, he always
insisted on the
tenderness of
God who was
offended.
He preferred to
speak of the joy
of feeling God’s
presence and
love.

31. He appreciated the mass
above everything else.
-"All the good works
cannot compare with the
sacrifice of the Mass, since
they are the works of man,
while the Holy Mass is
the work of God."
-The priest offers himself
to God in sacrifice
every morning ”.
-Communion and the holy
sacrifice of the Mass are
the two most effective acts
to achieve transformation
of hearts ”.

32. Despite the influx of
penitents, he prepared
diligently and in silence
for more than a quarter
of an hour.
He celebrated with
recollection, revealing
his attitude of adoration
in the moments of
consecration and
communion.
"The cause of the priest's
relaxation is that he does
not devote enough
attention to Mass.

33. He lived poorly in his parsonage, and spent
his money on embellishing the Church.

34. "The priest must always be ready to respond to the needs
of souls, he is not a man for himself, but for others."
“you showed me the way to Ars,
I will show you the way to heaven”
Meeting of Juan Vianney and
the little shepherd on 5 feb 1818

35. Prayer was the soul
of his life, - a silent,
contemplative prayer;
most of the time in his
church, at the foot of
the tabernacle .
He often spent long
hours in worship,
before dawn or
during the night;
During his homilies
he used to point to
the tabernacle saying
with emotion:
"He is there."

36. He accepted the cross,
-Slander from the people,
-misunderstandings of a
curate vicar or other
priests,
-contradictions,
-Mysterious fight against
the powers of hell
-The temptation of
hopelessness in the
spiritual night of the soul.

37. He had great devotion to Saint Philomena who
restored him to health, when he was dying

38. "After giving us all that he could, Jesus still wanted to leave
us the most precious thing that he had: his holy Mother.

39. He died at Ars on August 4, 1859

48. LIST OF PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH
Revised 17-1-2021
Advent and Christmas – time of hope and peace
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – In the Light of the Word
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – The Experiences and Challenges of Families
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 - Looking to Jesus, the Vocation of the Family
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - Love in Marriage
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Love made Fruitfuol
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Some Pastoral Perspectives
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Towards a better education of children
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Accompanying, discerning and integrating weaknwss
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – The Spirituality of Marriage and the Family
Beloved Amazon 1ª – A Social Dream
Beloved Amazon 2 - A Cultural Dream
Beloved Amazon 3 – An Ecological Dream
Beloved Amazon 4 - An Ecclesiastical Dream
Carnival
Christ is Alive
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – Church and Family today
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - God’s plan for the family
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – family as a Community
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – serving life and education
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – mission of the family in society
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - Family in the Church
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Football in Spain
Haurietis aquas – devotion to the Sacred Heart by Pius XII
Holidays and Holy Days
Holy Spirit
Holy Week – drawings for children
Holy Week – glmjpses of the last hours of JC
Inauguration of President Donald Trump
Juno explores Jupiter
Laudato si 1 – care for the common home
Laudato si 2 – Gospel of creation
Laudato si 3 – Human roots of the ecological crisis
Laudato si 4 – integral ecology
Laudato si 5 – lines of approach and action
Laudato si 6 – Education y Ecological Spirituality
Love and Marriage 1-
Love and Marriage 2 – growing up to sexual maturity
Love and Marriage 3 – psychological differences and complimentarity
Love and Marriage 4- causes of sexual attraction
Love and Marriage 5- freedom and intimacy
Love and Marriage 6 - human love
Love and Marriage 7 - destiny of human love
Love and Marriage 8- marriage between Christian believers
Love and Marriage 9 – sacrament of marriage
Lumen Fidei – ch 1,2,3,4
Medjugore Pilgrimage
Misericordiae Vultus in English
Mother Teresa of Calcuta – Saint
Pope Franciss in Thailand
Pope Francis in Japan
Pope Francis in Sweden
Pope Francis in America
Pope Francis in the WYD in Poland 2016
Querida Amazonia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ –according to the Gospels
Russian Revolution and Communismo 3 civil war 1918.1921
Russian Revolution and Communism 1
Russian Revolution and Communismo 2
Saint Ignatiius of Loyola
Saint Joseph
Saint Patrick and Ireland
Signs of hope
Sunday – day of the Lord
Thanksgiving – History and Customs
The Body, the cult – (Eucharist)
Trinity
Valentine
Vocation – mconnor@legionaries.org
Way of the Cross – drawings for children
For commentaries – email – mflynn@legionaries.org
Fb – Martin M Flynn
Donations to - Congregazione di Legionari di Cristo
BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Conto corrente - IT89T0306909606 100000139496-EUR-CA CATANIA
IBAN: ES3700491749852910000635

49. LISTA DE PRESENTACIONES EN ESPAÑOL
Revisado 17-1-2021
Abuelos
Adviento y Navidad, tiempo de esperanza
Amor y Matrimonio 1 - 9
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – A la luz de la Palabre
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – Realidad y Desafíos de las Familias
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 La mirada puesta en Jesús: Vocación de la Familia
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - El Amor en el Matrimonio
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Amor que se vuelve fecundo
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Algunas Perspectivas Pastorales
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Fortalecer la educacion de los hijos
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Acompañar, discernir e integrar la fragilidad
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – Espiritualidad Matrimonial y Familiar
Carnaval
Cristo Vive
Domingo – día del Señor
El camino de la cruz de JC en dibujos para niños
El Cuerpo, el culto – (eucarisía)
Espíritu Santo
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – iglesia y familia hoy
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - el plan de Dios para la familia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – familia como comunidad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – servicio a la vida y educación
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – misión de la familia en la sociedad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - participación de la familia en la iglesia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Fátima – Historia de las Apariciones de la Virgen
Feria de Sevilla
Haurietis aquas – el culto al Sagrado Corazón
Hermandades y cofradías
Hispanidad
Laudato si 1 – cuidado del hogar común
Laudato si 2 – evangelio de creación
Laudato si 3 – La raíz de la crisis ecológica
Laudato si 4 – ecología integral
Laudato si 5 – líneas de acción
Laudato si 6 – Educación y Espiritualidad Ecológica
Lumen Fidei – cap 1,2,3,4
Madre Teresa de Calcuta – Santa
María y la Biblia
Medjugore peregrinación
Misericordiae Vultus en Español
Papa Francisco en Bulgaria
Papa Francisco en Rumania
Papa Francisco en Marruecos
Papa Francisco en México
Papa Francisco – mensaje para la Jornada Mundial Juventud 2016
Papa Francisco – visita a Chile
Papa Francisco – visita a Perú
Papa Francisco en Colombia 1 + 2
Papa Francisco en Cuba
Papa Francisco en Fátima
Papa Francisco en la JMJ 2016 – Polonia
Queridas Amazoznia 1 un sueños social
Queridas Amazoznia 2 un suepo cultural
Queridas Amazoznia 3 un seuños ecologico
Queridas Amazoznia 4 un sueño eclesial
Resurrección de Jesucristo – según los Evangelios
Revolución Rusa y Comunismo 1, 2, 3
San Francisco de Asis 1,2,3,4
San Ignacio de Loyola
San José
San Juan de la Cruz
San Padre Pio de Pietralcina
Santiago Apóstol
Semana santa – Vistas de las últimas horas de JC
Trinidad
Vacaciones Cristianas
Valentín
Virgen de Guadalupe
Vocación – www.vocación.org
Vocación a evangelizar
Para comentarios – email – mflynn@lcegionaries.org
fb – martin m. flynn
Donations to - Congregazione di Legionari di Cristo
BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Conto corrente - IT89T0306909606 100000139496-EUR-CA CATANIA
IBAN: ES3700491749852910000635