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St. John Mary Vianney Feast Day August 8 John Mary Vianney was born of devout farming-people in the village of
Dardilly in the diocese of Lyons, and gave many indications of his future
sanctity. As an eight-year-old boy, keeping sheep, he would lead the other
children to kneel before the image of the Mother of God, teaching them
the Rosary by word and example; and he loved to work in the fields and
meditate on divine things. He was a great lover of the poor and took delight
in helping them in every way. He was slow to learn; but, after imploring
God's help and working hard to complete his course in theology, he was
judged fit to be ordained. Receiving an appointment as pastor, he made
spiritual flowers bloom again in a parish that had been nothing but a dried-up
wasteland. Busy every day hearing confessions and giving spiritual counsel,
he bore patiently the most horrible attacks of Satan. He established the
practice of making missions in more than a hundred parishes. The faithful
came flocking to his parish, even from distant places, in a holy desire
to see him; but he did not share their high opinion of him at all, and
more than once he tried to slip away. Worn out by his labors rather than
by old age, he rested in the Lord at the age of seventy-three on the day
he had foretold, August 4, 1859. Famous for many miracles, he was enrolled
among the Blessed by Pius X and among the Saints by Pius XI who, on the
fiftieth anniversary of his own priesthood, appointed him the heavenly
patron of all parish priests. |