file which includes the original illustration4 ,see #cjhgi-;h4htm or #cjhgi-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#cjhgi_/pg#cjhgi-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#cj hgi_/cjhgi-;h4zip7 ,image3 ,portrait of ,blessed ,john ,vianney ,blessed ,john ,b4 ,marie ,vianney ,,cure ,,of ,,ars ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,john ,b4 ,,marie ,,vianney ,,cure ,,of ,,ars4 ,with a ,novena and ,litany to ,this ,zealous ,worker in ,the ,vineyard of the ,lord4 ,compiled from ,approved ,sources4 ,new ,york3 ,joseph ,schaefer1 #i ,barclay ,street4 ,nihil obstat3 ,,thomas ,b4 ,,cotter1 ,,ph4,d41 ,censor4 ,imprimatur ,,john ,m4 ,,farley1 ,archbishop of ,new ,york4 ,october #bb1 #aiaj4 ,copyrighted1 #aiaa1 by ,joseph ,schaefer4 ,,preface4 ,spiritual reading has always been encouraged by our ,holy ,mother ,church1 because it strengthens our faith and stimulates us to be more devout in the practice of our religion4 ,the materialistic tone and trend of most modern literature1 however1 makes the reading and dissemination of ,catholic books all the more urgent and necessary at the present time4 ,the mind is moulded largely by reading and good minds were never more needed than to-day1 to combat the effects of the mental poison1 which is daily absorbed by young and old through the medium of degrading literature4 ,true1 there are issued good books and periodicals which are not strictly religious in tone1 but which1 nevertheless1 have a salutary influence upon the reader's mind4 ,their number1 however1 is comparatively small4 ,good spiritual reading should not be made merely an infrequent departure from the reading of every day literature1 but should be indulged in regularly and systematically by the ,catholic laity in general4 ,good books play an important part in fostering the early evidences of vocation4 ,the youth1 under their influence1 voluntarily moves nearer to the goal of his aspirations1 unforced by the caprice of the thoughtless or over-enthusiastic parents4 ,numerous little incidents are associated with the life of ,blessed ,jean ,baptist ,vianney1 which will help to develop the germ of sacerdotal vocation4 ,the young seminarian will find ,vianney's life to be a genuine exhortation which will operate to fortify him in the face of trials and temptation4 ,the priest himself1 who aims to acquire all the graces which may bless the priesthood1 may justly take pleasure in imitating the virtues1 zeal1 piety and charity of the humble cure of ,ars4 ,the little volume describes in simple language the life of a man1 who1 in our own time1 earned by his holiness1 acts of self-sacrifice1 self-abnegation and miracles1 wrought through the intervention of ,god1 the blessings of beatification4 ,vianney's life may be read with profit by everyone4 ,the descriptions of his toils and sufferings in behalf of his fellow-men1 and his efforts to save souls1 cannot fail to inspire the reader with uplifting thoughts4 ,,albert ,a4 ,,lings4 ,,contents4 ,introduction ,chapter ,i4--,childhood and ,youth of the ,saintly ,cure ,,ii4--,the ,good ,pastor ,,iii4--,the ,house of ,providence and the ,tribulations ,,iv4--,pilgrimage to ,ars ,v4--,miracles wrought by the ,cure of ,ars ,,vi4--,the ,interior ,life of the ,blessed ,cure ,,vii4--,death and ,beatification of the ,blessed ,cure ,litany and ,prayer in honor of ,blessed ,john ,b4 ,marie ,vianney ,novena ,,introduction4 ,,on ,january #h1 #aije1 ,john ,baptist ,marie ,vianney1 that most humble of country curates1 was admitted by our ,holy ,father1 ,pope ,pius ,x1 into the glorious ranks of the beatified of the ,catholic ,church4 ,and in very truth that devoted guardian of souls had well merited the exalted distinction thus conferred2 for1 during the forty-two years of his holy life1 countless thousands had come under the influence of his active and untiring zeal1 and were guided by him in the way of their salvation4 ,the fame of the gentle ,cure of ,ars has long since passed the boundaries of his native land1 and the fact that his name has been officially promulgated for veneration is sufficient reason for presenting this noble personality to the attention of the ,catholics of ,english speaking countries4 ,we do this with the greater pleasure1 since in thus seeking to promote the honor of the blessed cure we are at one with our ,holy ,father1 who constantly keeps his statue before him upon his desk in the ,vatican palace4 ,thereby ,pius ,x1 himself1 manifests his high regard for the blessed one and confirms the words pronounced shortly before the beatification of the former humble cure4 ,upon that occasion the ,holy ,father said3 ,we can hardly give befitting expression to the joy of our soul whilst we make public the solemn decree which affirms the validity of the miracles worked by ,god through the intercession of the venerable ,john ,baptist ,vianney4 ,for our part1 during the many years that we have exercised the pastoral office with affectionate solicitude1 nothing more agreeable has taken place1 or could occur1 than to behold this venerable cure elevated to the number of the blessed in the ,catholic ,church4 ,vianney was a truly apostolic guardian of souls4 ,and because he lived so near our own time1 the history of his life-work becomes all the more valuable and interesting4 ,the present sketch1 designed only as an outline1 is necessarily brief and gives but a meagre description of the virtues1 the mortifications1 the zeal and the ceaseless activities of the blessed cure4 ,those desiring a more extended history of the life of this great man are referred to the work of the ,abbe ,alfred ,monnin1 his friend and fellow laborer4 99 ,brief and unassuming1 however1 as this present narration may be1 we put it forth in the hope that it may contribute1 in some degree1 to make known the merits of this distinguished servant of ,god1 and in order that those who read it may be prompted to follow the counsels and imitate the example of his saintly life4 99 ,life of the ,cure d',ars1 ,burns ,oates1 ,london4 ,for sale by ,joseph ,schaefer1 #i ,barclay ,st41 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,childhood ,,and ,,youth ,,of ,,the ,,saintly ,,cure4 ,,jean ,baptist ,marie ,vianney1 afterwards to become famous as the cure of ,ars1 was born ,may #hth1 #aghf1 at ,dardilly1 in the ,south of ,france1 not far from the ,city of ,lyons1 and was the fourth child of humble country folks4 ,his father1 ,mathieu ,vianney1 and his mother1 ,marie ,beluse1 possessed some land adjoining their simple dwelling4 ,despite the fact that they were not rich they practiced the greatest hospitality toward the poor and needy4 ,with joyful wonder the youthful ,jean beheld1 evening after evening1 a number of poor and needy wayfarers entertained at the family meal4 ,not infrequently the elder ,vianney would bestow his own share upon some belated arrival4 ,this noble example made a profound impression upon the boy's pious disposition4 ,of his own accord he would go out to greet the needy travelers1 opening the door for them and otherwise assisting them1 and would even carry their torn garments to his mother1 in order that she might mend them4 ,by other kindly service he showed his sympathy with the poor and distressed who made their way to his father's house4 ,jean had inbibed a love of piety with his mother's milk4 ,the names of ,jesus and ,mary were the very first words to pass his baby lips4 ,the first movement of his little hands1 taught him by his mother1 was to make the sign of the cross4 ,even as a child of four or five years ,jean would retire to a place of solitude where1 as the record says1 he spoke with the angel guardian4 ,as he grew up he occupied himself with the work of the farm1 minding the cattle and doing other humble work4 ,when in after years his name was mentioned with pious admiration by numberless ,christians1 ,father ,vianney was wont to recall his early years1 saying3 ,how happy was ,i1 when ,i only had to care for my three sheep and my donkey4 ,then indeed ,i could pray to ,god according to my heart's desire4 ,just as the boy arrived at the age of reason the churches of ,france1 in consequence of the outbreak of the ,revolution1 were closed1 and the priests banished4 ,this was a severe trial for so devout a child1 for at that early age he was sensible of the high importance of the ,apostolic teaching1 and in his eagerness to promote the love of ,god he gathered the village children about him and preached impressive sermons to them in his simple but earnest way4 ,the young missionary became acquainted in those evil days with many worthy priests1 men who counted the threats and fury of the revolutionary heroes as nothing1 when it was a question of saving souls and so unnoticed the fervent desire took possession of the boy's soul that he might one day be a priest and work for the glory of ,god and the salvation of souls4 ,it was during those darkest hours for the ,church in ,france1 that ,jean1 with a number of other children1 met in private to be prepared for the reception of his ,first ,holy ,communion4 ,with what holy rapture did he approach the table of the ,lord4 ,that event was ever held in cherished remembrance by all who participated in it4 ,many years elapsed from the day the youth received his ,first ,holy ,communion to that other day when he began his studies for the priesthood4 ,divine ,providence willed1 first of all1 that his piety should be trained under the guidance of his good and worthy parents4 ,his daily work was divided between prayer and work1 or1 to speak more correctly1 his work was a continuous prayer4 ,the life of his ,divine ,master1 with its miracles and sufferings1 supplied him with inexhaustible material for meditation4 ,at the close of the day's work and in the company of his mother and sister ,catherine1 he read the ,holy ,scriptures and the lives of the ,saints4 ,being an extremely diligent and painstaking worker1 and because of his uniform meekness of character1 he was a great favorite at home as well as among his companions outside4 ,even upon boys who took no pains to be good1 ,jean's purity of heart made such an impression that they would cease their disedifying conversation whenever he approached4 ,meanwhile ,jean had hoped and prayed that he might become a priest1 but he completed his seventeenth year without having yet begun his education so necessary to the fulfillment of his desire4 ,such a result seemed to be all the more impossible of accomplishment inasmuch as his father declared point-blank that he had no money to spare for his son's education4 ,in #ahje1 however1 a ray of light appeared4 ,the churches were re-opened following the conclusion of the concordat1 and the ,rev4 ,father ,bailey1 one of the zealous missionaries of the period1 was appointed pastor of ,ecully1 a village adjacent to ,dardilly4 ,one of his early works wras the establishment of a seminary for the education of youth for the priesthood4 ,with his father's approval1 ,jean1 then #ai years old1 presented himself to ,father ,bailey4 ,the latter had been aware for a long time of the young man's great piety1 received him most kindly and admitted him as a student4 ,thus it came about that ,jean sat in class with boys much younger than he was4 ,had he been under instruction sooner it would not have been so very hard for him to learn1 as he had a fair capacity for ordinary studies4 ,but because he was only beginning at an age when most youths have already mastered the rudiments1 his studies occasioned him much trouble2 he was slow to learn and what he did learn he retained only imperfectly4 ,the study of ,latin was for him particularly difficult4 ,in his need he turned to the ,blessed ,virgin and to ,st4 ,francis ,regis1 the ,apostle of ,vivarais1 to whom he had been devoted since childhood4 ,he undertook a pilgrimage to the latter's tomb at ,louvesc to beseech his help4 ,his faithful confidence was rewarded and from that time on he experienced fewer difficulties in his studies4 ,when1 in after years1 ,jean was appointed pastor at ,ars1 he gratefully remembered the saint's assistance and brought his statue into the parish church and zealously promoted devotion to him4 ,hardly had ,jean begun his studies when an unfortunate obstacle arose4 ,napoleon ,i1 at that time holding the destiny of ,france in his hands1 needed troops for his ,spanish campaign4 ,these were raised by conscription1 and notwithstanding the pleadings of his relatives and of several influential persons1 ,jean was drawn for military service4 ,the sorrow which he experienced at this sudden interruption in his studies was so acute that he became seriously ill and had to be taken to the hospital1 first at ,lyons and later at ,roanne1 the troops meantime having departed for the ,pyrenees4 ,as a matter of fact it came about that after a long absence from home1 ,jean was enabled to return to his native village without having performed any actual military services4 ,in #ahab1 after close application to his studies1 ,jean was so far advanced as to be permitted to commence the study of philosophy at ,verrieres4 ,he was now in his twenty-seventh year1 and there found himself one of two hundred pupils1 all younger than he4 ,another bitter trial now awaited him1 for1 a few weeks afterwards1 he was declared disqualified to take the course in philosophy in the ,latin tongue1 and with six other students he had to attend this course in the ,french language4 ,not infrequently he was made the butt of his fellow students' ridicule1 yet he was never aroused to anger4 ,instead1 these annoyances only served to increase his acts of devotion4 ,still greater trials1 however1 were in store for him4 ,before being admitted into the great seminary of ,lyons to make his preparation for ,holy ,orders1 he was required to submit to an examination in philosophy4 ,this took place in the presence of the archbishop and his council4 ,when the questions1 presented in ,latin1 were put to him his memory wholly failed1 and in sheer confusion he could answer nothing1 so overawed was he by the presence of the distinguished visitors4 ,accordingly1 he alone of all the candidates was dismissed as unfit to enter the seminary4 ,imagine how hard a blow this must have been to ,jean4 ,all his work of the preceding eight years appeared to have been unsuccessful4 ,in that time of trial ,vianney's confidence in ,god remained unshaken and he was rewarded by finding a friend in the person of his old pastor1 ,father ,bailey1 who1 better acquainted with the character and qualifications of his protege1 induced the authorities to examine ,jean privately the following day4 ,this examination was held before the vicar-general of the archdiocese and the regent of the theological seminary1 and was so satisfactory that ,jean was now permitted to enter the seminary for the course of theology1 in #ahad4 ,as an inmate of the seminary his career was remarkable more for the piety of his life than for the brilliancy of his intellect4 ,the regent1 however1 who recognized ,vianney's sterling worth1 gave him for his room-mate a fellow student of marked ability who took pains to assist ,vianney in his studies1 and thus aided1 ,jean advanced toward the time of his ordination4 ,at that time1 #ahad1 there was a great need of priests and1 for this reason1 it was planned that ,vianney1 with other alumni should receive subdeacon's orders in the approaching month of ,july4 ,but the authorities hesitated4 ,how could they admit to the higher orders one so poorly qualified8 ,this question the vicar-general saw fit to settle for himself1 and1 after examining ,vianney thoroughly1 he announced with complacency3 ,you know as much as many a country pastor4 ,the vicar-general1 however1 had previously conferred with the superior of the seminary and had asked him3 ,is young ,vianney pious8 ,is he devoted to the ,blessed ,virgin8 ,the authorities were able to assure him fully upon these points4 ,then1 said the vicar-general1 ,i will receive him4 ,divine grace will do the rest4 ,thus1 on ,july #b;d1 #ahad1 ,vianney received subdeacon's orders and about twelve month's later those of deacon4 ,in ,august1 of the year #ahae1 he was raised to the dignity of the priesthood by the bishop of ,grenoble1 representing the archbishop of ,lyons1 who was at that time in ,rome4 ,vianney was then twenty-nine years old4 ,the bishop had expressed the hope that the newly ordained would prove to be an efficient laborer in the ,master's vineyard4 ,divine ,providence1 however1 had much more than this in store for the newly consecrated priest1 for he was to become a model1 whom ,holy ,church was one day to present to the entire clergy of the ,catholic world for imitation4 ,the ,blessed ,vianney1 in his humility1 constantly realized and lamented his imperfections4 ,the sublime ideals of the priesthood and in particular those of a pastor charged with the care of souls living in the world1 were ever present to him4 ,later in life he declared that a true pastor should ever be guided by two principles3 7#a71 he should never permit himself to think that he can accomplish nothing in his parish1 no matter for how long a time his efforts may have appeared unfruitful and1 7#b71 he should never consider that he has done enough1 no matter how much he may have accomplished4 ,in order to perfect himself ,father ,vianney took another course in moral theology from the pious and experienced ,father ,bailey4 ,to him ,jean ,baptist ,vianney was appointed vicar4 ,he lived with him in the parish house and took a zealous part in his pastor's practices and mortifications4 ,they read the breviary together and1 during the day1 frequently united in expressions of ardent love to the good ,god4 ,together they spent hours at a time in adoration before the ,tabernacle4 ,in company with his pastor1 ,father ,vianney took his scanty meal1 and his little income passed entirely into the hands of the poor4 ,articles of clothing which had been given to him for his own use went the same way4 ,he was literally possessed of nothing except the clothes which he wore4 ,with his worthy pastor he made daily visits to the poor and needy of the village and neighborhood1 comforting and relieving them as much as possible4 ,it took only a short time for his old friend and pastor1 ,father ,bailey1 to realize that he was entertaining a saint4 ,in ,december1 #ahag1 ,father ,bailey was taken from his parishioners by death4 ,it was generally hoped that ,vicar ,vianney would be his successor1 but ,god had other designs4 ,before the question was settled1 death had removed the pastor of the little village of ,ars who had only recently taken charge4 ,thereupon1 the vicar-general of the archdiocese sent ,father ,vianney there1 saying1 as he wished him ,godspeed3 ,my friend1 you are going to a small parish where very little of the love of ,god can be seen4 ,you are now to enkindle the flame of ,divine charity there6 ,most assuredly the vicar-general1 in speaking thus1 did not dream that in a few decades the little village of ,ars would become a glowing hearth of ,divine love1 spreading its warmth over the entire country4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,good ,,pastor4 ,,when ,jean ,baptist ,vianney entered his parish on that winter evening in ,february1 #ahah1 he quickly realized the religious indifference prevailing there and the contrast in this respect to the kindly and religiously inclined ,ecully4 ,upon his arrival1 no one came forward to bid him welcome4 ,the very atmosphere of the neighborhood seemed cold and repellant4 ,the people of that place1 while not positively bad1 were for the most part indifferent in the matter of their eternal welfare4 ,daily ,mass was attended by only two or three elderly women4 ,for the most trivial excuse1 men neglected ,sunday ,mass4 ,not one of them attended ,vespers1 although at the same time the cafes of the village were crowded4 ,even the most devout of the women approached the ,sacraments but rarely1 while the men1 through human pride1 neglected to make their ,easter duty4 ,in fact1 one of their number begged the pastor to give him ,holy ,communion in the sacristy1 so that no one might see him4 ,servile work of every kind was done on ,sunday1 and at harvest time the carts and wagons were in use during the entire day carting souls to hell1 as ,father ,vianney not inaptly expressed it4 ,not in a day were these conditions changed4 ,such a result required many years of effort4 ,in time1 however1 ,divine grace triumphed and the almost unknown parish of ,ars became the glorious model for the whole of ,france4 ,the spirit of religion was revived1 public worship restored1 the ,lord's day unusually respected and observed4 ,the parish formed1 as it were1 one large-family1 in which each member vied with the other in the service of ,god4 ,what had the young pastor done to thus transform his parish8 ,he did nothing that any other country pastor may not attempt to do4 ,as his parishioners did not come to him1 he went to them in their homes4 ,he was not satisfied with one formal visit but called repeatedly upon his people1 as their spiritual or temporal needs seemed to require4 ,he timed his visits for the most part when the family were assembled for the noonday meal4 ,he would enter the living room or stand at the threshold and chat in a friendly manner with the members of the household4 ,although invited to partake of of their hospitality he never accepted the least refreshment1 not even a drink of water4 ,he talked with them about their every day life1 their cares and anxieties1 their hopes and disappointments4 ,the people soon perceived that ,father ,vianney was one of themselves and thus they learned to confide in him and to ask his advice in their temporal affairs4 ,then1 whenever occasion presented1 with great aptitude he turned the conversation to things supernatural4 ,at the same time he was never insistent4 ,his manner was always affable1 never impatient1 never reproving2 even when he might justly have given reproof4 ,this gentleness in his manner1 which1 was only the reflex of the charity in his heart1 soon won over his people1 who now looked forward to his visits and considered themselves highly honored when he called4 ,we have already had occasion to notice his defective memory1 and how in consequence he was so greatly impeded in the prosecution of his studies4 ,this drawback made itself particularly felt when he came to prepare his sermons4 ,many a sleepless night did the poor man devote to the preparation of the discourses to be given to his people4 ,but his industry1 strengthened by the ,divine assistance1 conquered1 so that1 while he never possessed the gift of oratory1 he spoke easily1 earnestly and convincingly1 and when1 in after years1 the pilgrims poured in to ,ars1 sometimes as many as #bj1jjj in a single year1 he was able to give his daily instruction from the pulpit without any special preparation and without the embarrassment which he had experienced at the beginning of his priestly career4 ,in order to make the practice of religion more attractive for his parishioners1 he sought to beautify and decorate the little parish church4 ,in this work he was greatly aided by ,mademoiselle d',ars1 sister of the ,vicomte d',ars1 who himself generously provided the little church with new vestments and altar vessels4 ,with the co-operation of his parishioners1 who1 day by day were learning to appreciate their pastor's solid piety1 he built two chapels as an addition to the parish church4 ,one of these he dedicated to ,st4 ,philomena1 a youthful martyr1 whose relics were recovered at ,rome in the beginning of the nineteenth century2 the other was placed under the invocation of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 and in it stood the confessional of the cure of ,ars1 the ,mercy ,seat1 as it were1 of the ,almighty1 at which untold thousands of souls were reconciled to their ,creator4 ,despite the fact that the number of his friends and co-workers steadily increased1 thus evidencing the fruitfulness of his labors1 ,father ,vianney in truth looked to ,god alone for success in his undertakings4 ,he realized that he was engaged with the evil spirit in a conflict for the souls of his people and he had read in ,holy ,writ these words of ,jesus ,christ3 ,but this kind 7of evil spirit7 is not cast out except by prayer and fasting4 7,matthew ,,xvii1 #bj47 ,upon one occasion he recalled these words to a fellow priest who was lamenting that he could obtain no results in his parish1 although he had done all in his power to rouse his people from their indifference4 ,father ,vianney said to him3 ,you have done all in your power8 ,are you so sure of it8 ,did you fast and give alms8 ,did you pray8 ,by these questions ,father ,vianney indicated what were the practices of his own life1 which enabled him to obtain results little short of miraculous4 ,his charity was boundless4 ,the food1 clothing and other supplies1 which the generous ,mademoiselle d',ars sent for the rectory1 as a rule1 promptly found their way to the poor and needy4 ,father ,vianney actually kept for himself only what was barely sufficient to ward off starvation4 ,even this modicum was frequently given away1 when a poor man came and asked for food4 ,one evening when ,mr4 ,mandy1 the ,maire of ,ars1 came to visit the cure1 he found him pale as death and apparently exhausted4 ,greatly alarmed1 he exclaimed3 ,are you ill1 ,father ,vianney8 ,oh1 my good friend1 the latter replied1 you are just in time1 ,i have nothing left to eat4 ,for three days ,father ,vianney had had no provisions whatever in the house1 having bestowed the last of his potatoes upon a poor mendicant4 ,he partook daily of but one meal and that consisted generally of boiled potatoes1 which he was accustomed to cook in a quantity sufficient to last through the week1 so that oftentimes by ,friday or ,saturday what remained had become mouldy4 ,when his relatives came to see him1 or if he had other visitors1 he took pains to have a plain meal provided for them4 ,under no consideration would he allow any mention to be made of his mortification and self-denial4 ,as with food so also ,father ,vianney deprived himself of the various articles of clothing with which he had been supplied4 ,being accosted on his way home by a poor man whose feet were bare and sore1 he divested himself of his own shoes and stockings1 gave them to the mendicant1 and returned home barefoot4 ,vianney was wont to declare jestingly that he had never left his overcoat anywhere4 ,as a matter of fact he did not possess one1 thus fulfilling literally our ,lord's words3 ,he that hath two coats1 let him give to him that hath none6 99 ,his colleagues were often displeased at his poverty-stricken appearance and regarded his shabby clothes as a reflection upon their dignity4 ,these faultfinders could easily have learned that the patched garments of the hero of brotherly love commanded the respect of all who knew ,vianney's real character4 ,wherever he appeared he was received with the utmost respect and cordially greeted by all4 99 ,luke ,,iii1 #aa4 ,he offered up to ,god all his mortifications for the welfare of his people1 increasing these exercises habitually as ,easter approached1 and whenever it was a question of touching the heart of a hardened sinner4 ,he joined prayer to fasting4 ,at two o'clock in the morning he arose and said the night-office of the breviary4 ,at four o'clock he entered the church to visit our ,lord in the ,blessed ,sacrament and then said his ,mass4 ,after ,mass he gave instruction in catechism and heard confessions4 ,so steadily was he occupied in this work that he seldom left the church until noon-time4 ,he devoted the afternoons to visiting the sick and spent the rest of the day in the church1 where1 to the edification of all1 he held evening devotions in public4 ,what could the ,lord refuse to such self-sacrificing love8 ,vianney himself used to say3 ,i obtained from ,him everything that ,i wanted6 ,the progress in the spiritual condition of the congregation at ,ars necessarily became known in the surrounding country and ,father ,vianney's fellow priests of other parishes begged him to help them in the pulpit and confessional4 ,these requests ,father ,vianney never refused1 so that1 in the space of two years1 he became the real apostle of the cathedral circuit4 ,so great was the success of his spiritual labors that the faithful who desired his assistance no longer waited until he should come again to their parishes1 but themselves visited him at ,ars4 ,soon the high road to ,ars was filled with pedestrians and vehicles carrying a great number of visitors1 and this procession of pilgrims increased when reports were spread of the miracles which took place at ,ars4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,providence ,,and ,,the ,,tribulations4 ,,in #ahbe1 seven years after ,father ,vianney had been appointed to the parish at ,ars1 he resolved upon a new and important undertaking4 ,he wanted to bring together in one home all the neglected poor and orphan children of ,ars and the surrounding country1 and to provide at one and the same time for both their physical and spiritual needs4 ,facing the village green there stood a desirable house1 which he would gladly have acquired for this purpose4 ,one day he received from an anonymous donor a considerable sum of money for charitable purposes4 ,he immediately betook himself to the owner of the house in question1 and without much difficulty was enabled to purchase it4 ,and this was the beginning of the ,house of ,providence4 ,as directresses for this home he selected two young women of the parish and placed them in charge1 but without imposing upon them any religious vows4 ,the home soon sheltered many little ones1 either neglected or homeless1 who were fed1 clothed and cared for1 and whose instruction in the catechism ,vianney took upon himself daily4 ,by degrees the grown up parishioners came to assist at these instructions1 which took the place of those which had been held in the parish church4 ,this home was maintained by ,father ,vianney for twenty-five years4 ,for its financial support he made use of the alms given to him1 and it frequently happened that sums of money to be used in charity were transmitted to him most unexpectedly and at times when the home was in greatest need4 ,relief sometimes came in a manner which excludes the idea of human intervention4 ,among other incidents observed by many witnesses it is related that one day there was no flour for the day's supply of bread and no money with which to purchase any4 ,everyone whom ,father ,vianney approached upon this subject seemed either to be unable or unwilling to relieve him1 so that the cure imagined himself almost forsaken4 ,never before had he felt so miserable4 ,then he remembered ,st4 ,francis ,regis and deciding to seek heavenly intercession1 he took the relics of the saint and carried them to the store-room1 concealing them under the remnant of grain that lay there4 ,next day the caretakers of the home came and again reminded the pastor that there was nothing left to eat in the house4 ,father ,vianney1 weeping1 exclaimed3 ,then we must send our poor children away6 ,nevertheless he betook himself with one of the care-takers to the store-room and1 with great anxiety1 opened the door1 when1 behold the store-room which had been empty was found to be filled with grain4 ,it was on such an occasion as this that ,father ,vianney's sanctity manifested itself4 ,instead of welcoming this public miracle with joyful satisfaction he felt on the contrary1 deeply humiliated1 because of his having previously given way to discouragement4 ,he hastened to the children of the home and exclaimed in self-accusation ,behold1 dear children1 ,i mistrusted the good ,god4 ,i was about to send you all away1 and for this ,he has well punished me6 ,the report of this miraculous supply of food was quickly circulated4 ,the whole congregation visited the store-room2 everyone could convince himself of the truth of the matter4 ,later1 ,bishop ,devie1 of ,belley1 inquired personally into the matter and found the facts to be as above stated4 ,now1 great graces in the lives of holy persons are never bestowed without great trials1 and the good cure was no exception to this rule4 ,during the ten years of his ministry he had suffered from suspicion1 distrust and calumny4 ,his enemies had criticised his actions and had held him up to derision4 ,he had even been threatened with violence4 ,among those who attacked him were some of his own colleagues in the ministry1 who were greatly angered because their parishioners flocked in numbers to ,ars to ask advice and counsel of one whom they had called the inexperienced and ignorant priest4 ,of course ,father ,vianney's own behavior gave no little reason for their disparaging opinion of him1 for1 in his humility1 he had several times declared himself to be a worthless and incapable servant of ,god1 an opinion which undoubtedly he sincerely held4 ,these aspersions from his colleagues were disseminated among the people1 so that many of the faithful1 influenced by the mistaken opinion of their spiritual leaders1 took upon themselves the liberty of defaming their pastor4 ,some went further and wrote and left at his door notice containing coarse and dishonorable remarks4 ,to such an extent had these ideas progressed that some persons attributed the furrows with which penitential works had seamed the brow of the humble priest to an immoral mode living4 ,with touching patience and resignation ,father ,vianney bore those years of bitterness4 ,his zeal never relaxed for a day1 and the interior agony which he suffered was not observable in any of his pastoral duties4 ,at that time he frequently repeated those memorable and beautiful words3 ,we can do more for ,god when we perform our duties faithfully1 without interior gladness and a certain relish in fulfilling them4 ,the profound repose of his inner life will appear still more admirable to those who learn what cunning snares were prepared for him at the same time by the arch enemy of the human race4 ,when news of the diabolical visitations to which ,father ,vianney was frequently exposed1 reached his colleagues1 they laughed aloud4 ,they declared that he was a dreamer1 whose brain was disordered4 ,with his accustomed composure the humbled cure bore the derision of his colleagues1 and of the faithful who agreed with them4 ,far from being weakminded1 as his associates represented him to be1 ,father ,vianney at first refused to believe that it was the powers of evil that were persecuting him and depriving him of his night's rest in order to render him unfit for his pastoral duties4 ,when the nocturnal rappings became more pronounced1 he begged some courageous men of the parish to assist him in discovering the evildoers or thieves1 as he at first considered them1 whose purpose he thought was to carry off some of the costly articles which had been presented for the parish church4 ,those men came to keep watch with him1 and for many nights in succession they heard the same sounds which ,father ,vianney had heard1 without seeing any person or thing to account for them4 ,like their pastor they were much wrought up over the strange occurrences4 ,one winter's night1 however1 when the rappings upon the front door were louder than usual1 the cure sprang from his bed and hurried to the courtyard1 believing that he might find traces of the marauder in the freshly fallen snow4 ,but there were no foot prints to be seen4 ,then ,father ,vianney no longer doubted that it was ,satan that was persecuting him and this conviction removed all sentiments of fear from his soul1 for he knew well how to combat the enemy of ,god4 ,these violent satanic assaults were kept up against ,father ,vianney for the space of thirty-five years4 ,that a man so tortured and deprived continually of his needed rest1 so enfeebled by the mortifications which he imposed on himself1 did not die earlier than his seventy-fourth year1 seems almost more miraculous than the inexhaustible activity of his life4 ,meanwhile his enemies had advanced a step further in their efforts to render this zealous pastor's position precarious4 ,they calumniated him to the bishop of the diocese of ,belley1 to which ,ars now belonged1 saying that their pastor was unfit to be entrusted with the care of souls4 ,the bishop1 however1 would not condemn the poor priest without a hearing4 ,he sent his vicar-general to ,ars and informed ,father ,vianney that in future he must submit to the episcopal jurisdiction all difficult cases of conscience coming before him as well as the decision he has passed upon them himself4 ,the investigation was welcomed by ,father ,vianney1 and he very soon submitted over two hundred cases4 ,bishop ,devie1 of ,belley1 examined these himself and found that the decisions reached upon the difficult points 7excepting only two cases in which his opinion differed71 were correct4 ,from that moment he would not suffer anyone to speak1 of the cure of ,ars as an incapable pastor4 ,about this time1 moreover1 the bishop personally visited ,father ,vianney at his house in ,ars1 and found there a zealous and holy man1 instead of the ridiculous figure which the cure's enemies had made him out to be4 ,speaking one day to his assembled clergy1 in regard to the cure of ,ars1 he said3 ,gentlemen1 would that you all had a trifle of the foolishness about which you make so merry4 ,it would not prejudice your intelligence in the least6 ,yet1 far more than the protection thus afforded by the bishop1 did the unalterable humility and amiability of ,father ,vianney bring these opponents to reason4 ,in the course of a few years this noble character ceased to have any enemies among the clergy4 ,laymen likewise stopped their calumnies1 even if they did not cease their ridicule altogether4 ,but ,god had prepared a new trial for ,his servant4 ,we have already told how ,father ,vianney had founded and under great difficulties had carried on the home for neglected children called the ,the ,providence4 ,the time had come when this useful institution was to be taken from his control4 ,the board of education had found fault with the home as being neither a regular school nor a hospital4 ,the clergy criticised its management by lay persons1 until at last the bishop was prevailed upon to put the institution in charge of a religious order1 and the cure1 although sore at heart1 subscribed to the deed of surrender in ,november1 #ahdg4 ,thereupon the ,sisters of ,st4 ,joseph from ,bourg were put in charge of the institution1 which came to be known as a ,free ,school for ,girls4 ,soon it became evident that this blow1 hard as it was1 but in which ,father ,vianney as ever beheld the finger of ,god1 turned out to his profit1 for all the powers of his body and mind henceforth were devoted to the single purpose of the conversion of sinners1 who kept coming to ,ars in ever increasing numbers4 ,before we speak further on this point1 we must draw attention to an event that took place in the year #ahdc4 ,in ,may of that year1 ,father ,vianney became ill as a result of overwork4 ,so serious was his condition that he received the last ,sacraments4 ,there was universal sorrow in the village and the church was constantly filled with parishioners who prayed that he might be spared4 ,but the physicians gave no hope4 ,one of them as he touched the cold hand of the motionless figure1 exclaimed aloud3 ,he has only a few moments to live4 ,the dying man heard plainly the verdict pronounced over him and at that same moment1 as he afterwards declared1 he was seized with such terror of the supreme judgment of ,god1 that he besought the intercession of the ,blessed ,virgin and of ,st4 ,philomena1 and he implored the ,almighty through them to vouchsafe to postpone the awful moment of his appearance before ,him4 ,his prayers were heard4 ,to the great astonishment of those present the vitality of the man1 sick apparently unto death1 returned and1 on ,may #aith1 ,father ,vianney was able to be carried into the church amidst the rejoicings of his children1 and there he prayed at length before the ,tabernacle4 ,but at this time he made a resolution which1 earlier1 he could not have carried into effect4 ,his bishop1 seeing the great amount of work which had to be performed at ,ars1 had sent him an assistant priest1 to whom1 in his humility1 ,vianney considered himself subordinate and1 knowing that there was some one now to take his place1 he decided to retire from his pastoral work and to spend the rest of his poor life1 as he called it1 in some remote monastery4 ,to carry out this purpose he planned to flee from ,ars under cover of the darkness and mist4 ,but his project was betrayed by his friends at the ,providence to whom he was obliged to give necessary instructions regarding the future care of the children4 ,great excitement immediately prevailed among the parishioners and the many visitors1 and they quietly surrounded the rectory in order to prevent his escape4 ,the pastor1 however1 managed to elude them and made his way through a path in the garden which had been overlooked and hastened to his birth-place at ,dardilly4 ,thereupon the sheep went in search of their shepherd1 but as soon as they discovered him in his home he fled farther away1 they still following him4 ,at last1 moved by the distress which his departure had caused and the appeals made to him by the inhabitants of ,ars to return to them1 he concluded that it was the holy will of ,god that he should return and resume the heavy burden of his pastorate1 from which he had hoped to be relieved4 ,all thought they had surely won him back1 but later on the ,blessed ,vianney made two other efforts to lay down his pastoral cares and to retire into a monastery1 there to work out his own salvation4 ,but ,god granted the fervent petition of the people of ,ars and caused these plans to come to naught4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,pilgrimages ,,to ,,ars4 ,,not only to the villagers1 but in a greater degree to the pilgrims who journeyed to ,ars1 ,father ,vianney's departure would have been particularly disappointing4 ,as early as the period between #ahbe and #ahcj1 these remarkable pilgrimages had taken place4 ,so great was the multitude of people who kept coming that increased traveling accomodations had to be arranged between ,ars and the outlying country places4 ,the pilgrims arrived from every province of ,france2 others came from ,belgium and ,england2 some from ,america4 ,at ,ars one met bishops and cardinals1 prefects of state1 university professors1 rich merchants1 bankers1 men and women of ancient and noble lineage1 side by side with an innumerable army of priests and religious4 ,as yet the newspapers had not published any account of the wonders accomplished there4 ,only by word of mouth was the fame of the cure made known1 and this unending procession of pilgrims was merely the result of the personal experience of those who had already come under ,father ,vianney's influence4 ,with ever increasing wonder the new arrivals observed the great power which that humble priest exercised over souls4 ,every day in the aisle of the church two rows of men1 numbering from sixty to a hundred1 awaited their turn to go to confession in the little sacristy4 ,if the question were put as to how long they had been waiting there the answer sometimes was3 since two o'clock in the morning1 or1 since midnight1 as soon as the cure had opened the church4 ,the stranger would learn with astonishment that men from the highest walks of life had frequently waited patiently a whole day and night1 not in order to assist at some great ceremony1 but to submit themselves humbly to the guidance of the cure in the matter of the welfare of their souls4 ,the church was equally crowded elsewhere1 and it was no unusual thing to find two hundred women or more waiting their turn to confess their sins4 ,the spectacle of those men and women absorbed in prayer continued from hour to hour and from day to day4 ,as a rule ,father ,vianney heard confessions daily for sixteen and even eighteen hours and this almost superhuman practice continued for a period of thirty years4 ,at seven or eight o'clock in the morning the cure said ,mass and gave ,holy ,communion4 ,after ,mass he blessed the articles of devotion presented to him at the altar rail1 as well as the little children that were brought to him4 ,at eleven o'clock he moved through the crowded ranks of those present and1 ascending the pulpit1 he delivered a plain but impressive sermon on the truths of holy faith4 ,he who formerly could preach a sermon only under the greatest difficulty1 now manifested an imperturbable calm and assurance1 for the ,divine grace so noticeably inspired his addresses that in many cases1 according to the evidence of the different pilgrims themselves1 it so happened that his words touched the very ones who1 up to that time1 had remained in their sins1 and1 his affecting appeal to them to consider the awful state of their souls1 removed the last obstacle to their reconciling themselves to ,god4 ,at first1 indeed1 ,father ,vianney was greatly distressed when circumstances necessitated his preaching without special preparation2 yet1 as in this he saw only the will of ,god1 he abandoned himself with complete resignation to the ,divine plans1 and thus became1 although he had no suspicion of it himself1 a most eloquent apostle4 ,in his sermons he was accustomed to recall the scenes of his early life as a farmer lad1 and he employed the analogies and arguments drawn from external nature and1 according to his own statements1 it was evident that there was nothing in the visible world that had not reminded him of ,god and of eternity4 ,besides these expressive comparisons1 ,father ,vianney's sermons frequently described incidents drawn from his personal experience4 ,thus1 one day1 speaking of lukewarm ,christians1 he said3 ,you there behold a tepid soul1 which for the most paltry excuse starts to gossip while praying4 ,does this soul really offer to ,god the day's work8 ,does it return ,him thanks and glorify ,him8 ,without doubt the lips will speak the words1 but for the most part no thought is given to what is said4 ,the soul never ceases to busy itself with the things that are only of this world4 ,again1 said he1 we notice a man in church1 turning his hat round and round in his hand4 ,or1 we observe in her home a woman1 who said grace while cutting bread for the children or while putting wood on the fire1 or she interrupts her prayers to call the help4 ,as a man of the people1 ,father ,vianney knew that in order to hold their attention nothing was so serviceable as to give them a faithful portrayal of every day life4 ,in his discourses he always reverted to the fundamental truths of faith and placed vividly before his auditors for their consideration1 the four last things4 ,ever and anon he would return to the necessity of man's loving ,god2 that this love ought to be as natural to men as song was to the bird4 ,it was impossible for him to preach without referring to the unspeakable joys which arise in the soul of man through a self-sacrificing love of ,god4 ,as soon as the sermon was at an end the people hastened to the village green1 where the good cure was accustomed to pass on the way to the ,providence and to his home1 delaying on the way to give advice and consolation to those who applied to him4 ,everyone called him ,father1 a title readily admitted by all who observed his kindly manner and still1 kinder speech4 ,father ,vianney moved1 slowly through the surging throng and1 although he was gentleness itself1 yet unabashed and obtrusive persons were now and again brought to reason by a quiet though firm answer4 ,many an ingenious reply has been recorded of the good cure4 ,a young girl who1 from spiritual laziness1 had submitted the question of her vocation to the good cure1 asked him in a loud tone3 ,father1 what is my vocation to be8 ,to which he replied3 ,my child1 your vocation is to get to heaven4 ,at a glance ,father ,vianney could recognize innocent souls4 ,it was often observed how he would say suddenly to certain individuals3 ,dear child1 just go home2 you have no need of me4 ,yet sixteen to eighteen hours daily hardly sufficed to allow him to attend to the distressed souls who knelt in his confessional1 since for these above all ,god had sent the cure of ,ars4 ,here we arrive naturally at the important subject of the conversions that took place at ,ars4 ,time and again the noble priest would say3 ,let us pray for the conversion of sinners6 ,he declared that prayer for this purpose was one of the most pleasing that could be offered to the good ,god4 ,without cessation he himself prayed with this intention and took upon himself all kinds of mortification4 ,his petitions ascended to the throne of ,god1 who1 during the thirty years of the cure's life at ,ars1 was pleased to send innumerable sinners to ,ars to be reconciled4 ,many of these sank at his feet already prepared1 for they had heard from others that it was sweet and easy to confess one's sins to the saintly priest and under his guidance1 to repent of them with their whole heart4 ,on one occasion a driver knocked loudly at the door of the cure's house at midnight and asked that his confession be heard at once4 ,without hesitation1 ,father ,vianney arose and went with him into the church4 ,after he had reconciled him to ,god ,vianney embraced him cordially and gave him some warm clothing1 as he noticed the man was suffering from the cold4 ,with many sinners the workings of grace were decidedly slower4 ,some had come to ,ars out of curiosity1 others to unmask the cure1 as they thought to do1 and to make merry over the gullible crowd as the pilgrims were called4 ,but1 after closely observing the holy priest for one or two days1 they lost all desire to compare him to a town crier1 and it was not long before they joined the crowds waiting for confession4 ,with still another class it required a direct call of grace4 ,like ,st4 ,vincent ,ferrer1 ,father ,vianney had received from ,god the gift of being able to read clearly into the conscience of a sinner4 ,hence almost every day it happened that one would see him come suddenly out of the sacristy and advance straight towards a person who had only just entered the church4 ,with a kind and earnest look he would lead him at once to his confessional4 ,many such penitents acknowledged later that ,father ,vianney1 without more ado1 would mention their sins to them beforehand1 reminding them especially of those shameful matters in their past life which they might have been tempted to conceal4 ,thereby he not infrequently removed the last obstacle to complete reconciliation with ,god4 ,among others the following incident is well attested4 ,a certain man1 thirty-two2 years of age1 went to ,ars in company with a friend1 intending to ridicule ,father ,vianney4 ,the man had with him his hunting dog1 having planned to enjoy the pleasures of the chase in the neighboring fields4 ,at the very moment when the cure was passing across the village square and through the kneeling multitudes1 the two friends appeared on the scene4 ,presently ,father ,vianney found himself face to face with the curious sportsman pushing through the crowd4 ,after a hasty glance at the dog running at his side1 the cure1 without further ceremony1 said to its owner3 ,sir1 it were to be desired that your soul were as beautiful as your hound6 ,the man shamefacedly lowered his head and1 shortly after1 moved by divine grace1 made his confession with copious tears and that same year adopted the life of a religious1 in which he persevered until death4 ,upon another occasion1 among the curious spectators in the church at ,ars was a highly educated freethinker1 a mocker at religion1 of the ,voltaire stamp4 ,to please his wife he had accompanied her to ,ars1 in order1 as he expressed it1 to have a look at the old buffoon4 ,with a scornful air he surveyed the crowd praying devoutly in the little church4 ,suddenly the cure stepped out of the confessional1 advanced towards the new arrival1 and1 with an imposing movement of the hand1 requested him to go into the sacristy4 ,astonished and confused the unbeliever followed the priest4 ,there ,father ,vianney sought to bring him to his knees4 ,the latter declared that he had no idea of going to confession1 and that he did not believe in it4 ,father ,vianney looked him squarely in the eyes1 and under that piercing glance the freethinker sank upon his knees4 ,then ,father ,vianney described to him his past life1 with surprising accuracy and drew from him the admission that all he had told him was true4 ,the light of faith was forthwith rekindled in the soul of the sinner1 who1 strongly affected1 cried out with violent sobs3 ,my ,god1 ,i believe2 ,i adore ,thee2 ,i love ,thee2 and beg of ,thee forgiveness6 ,father ,vianney dismissed him with the words2 ,dear friend1 hold yourself prepared2 the good ,god will call you to ,himself very soon6 ,and so it was4 ,two years later a stroke of apoplexy brought to a sudden end the convert's life4 ,besides reconciling sinners with ,god the indefatigable cure was frequently engaged in the important work of directing souls to the knowledge and attainment of their vocation and in giving other counsel valuable in their spiritual life4 ,seeking such advice there flocked to ,ars1 from all parts1 bishops and pastors1 leaders of religious communities1 fathers and mothers of families1 young men and young girls in great numbers1 all eager to obtain the advice of the good priest4 ,the latter gave his decisions promptly1 for he never allowed himself to forget that sinners were waiting for him at his confessional4 ,many who thus applied declared that ,father ,vianney1 after listening to the first few words1 was able to give his advice upon the matter at issue with the fullest intelligence4 ,upon one occasion a pastor in the diocese of ,autun1 presented to the cure for his opinion a very difficult case in moral theology1 involving a question of restitution4 ,he received from him such a prompt answer1 removing all doubt that1 astounded1 he asked the cure where he had studied his theology8 ,with a motion of the hand1 which conveyed an advice rather than an answer1 ,father ,vianney pointed silently to his prie-dieu4 ,we have referred to the great number of persons who applied to the cure for advice concerning the religious vocation1 but it would be a mistake to suppose that the cure advised young persons indiscriminately to embrace the priesthood or the monastic life4 ,such was not the case2 on the contrary the cure dissuaded many from entering the cloister1 although the parties themselves felt strongly attracted to it4 ,in this respect the story of ,miss ,a4 ,c4 is instructive4 ,that lady wished to enter a convent4 ,her father1 who had large property interests in the ,south of ,france1 wanted her to marry a young man who would become his successor4 ,they agreed to ask ,father ,vianney's advice and to follow it4 ,this was in the year #aheh1 a few months before the death of the blessed cure4 ,father ,vianney listened with his accustomed kindness to the young girl's recital1 reflected a moment and then exclaimed to the surprised young lady3 ,my dear child1 you ought to marry6 ,when she referred to her desire to enter a convent1 the cure interrupted her1 and said again3 ,get married1 and prove to all that your piety is genuine4 ,miss ,c4 obeyed and1 as the wife of the young man who had asked her hand1 was very happy4 ,at another time a pastor came to him saying that he desired to become a ,dominican4 ,father ,vianney exclaimed3 ,no1 my friend1 this desire is unfounded2 stay where you are4 ,the pastor suggested that as a friar preacher he could be more successful4 ,the blessed cure replied immediately3 ,where you are placed there is always more to do than you can really accomplish6 ,more than once the result shows how imprudent it was to disregard the counsels of that enlightened man4 ,a certain ,felix ,b4 from ,coblone1 came to ,ars on ,sept4 #hth1 #ahed1 the feast of the ,nativity of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,as ,father ,vianney was passing through the throng1 which on that day was very great1 he noticed the young man1 and walked straight towards him4 ,felix made known to him forthwith his desire of entering a ,trappist monastery4 ,very well1 dear friend1 said ,father ,vianney1 carry out your intention and ,god will bless you6 ,when ,felix returned home he felt so faint hearted at the thought of entering an order of such strict observance that he postponed for two years his plan of adopting the monastic life4 ,at last1 in #ahef1 as the call to the life of a religious dominated him1 he entered the community of the ,christian ,brothers4 ,but this did not bring him the happiness which he had anticipated4 ,he remained in this congregation for six years1 all the while in a state of unrest and discontent4 ,the more he reflected upon his condition the more vividly there stood before his spiritual gaze the image of the cure of ,ars 7who1 meanwhile1 had died71 and he recalled the advice he had received but had not followed4 ,after a hard struggle with his own stubborn nature1 ,felix sought release from the community to which he was attached and asked to be permitted to enter a ,trappist monastery which had recently been founded in the arch-diocese4 ,this was accordingly arranged4 ,from that day all unrest vanished and the ,trappist monk found peace and contentment in the life to which he had been advised by the cure of ,ars4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,miracles ,,wrought ,,by ,,the ,,cure ,,of ,,ars4 ,,innumerable were the miracles worked by the holy man whose history we are relating4 ,they resemble in their marvellous scope and variety1 those of the ,divine ,master1 who foretold the accomplishment of wonders greater than ,his own in the ministry of ,his faithful servants4 ,the account of the upbuilding of the ,house of ,providence has given us an insight into the power of the holy man who reproduced the scriptural story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes4 ,we have there seen that often many persons were fed when the larder and the granary were empty4 ,another phase of the miraculous power of blessed ,vianney's prayer to obtain help in time of need1 the results of which often gave proof of supernatural intervention1 is seen in a good work very dear to him1 familiarly known in ,france as ,fondements4 ,these ,fondements referred to the establishment of a fund for the perpetual offering of the ,holy ,sacrifice for some desired end4 ,blessed ,vianney established one thousand annual ,masses4 ,the ,fondements represented a capital of #dj1jjj francs4 ,not only did it effect a spiritual good1 but going out to needy priests it created in itself a continuous and generous contribution to charity4 ,some of the miraculous interventions of ,providence that touched his heart most deeply are found in his efforts in this direction4 ,we shall cite but one4 ,a member of the household of ,providence relates it3 ,once when ,father ,vianney desired to make a ,fondement in his church in honor of the heart of ,mary1 he prayed3 ,o1 my mother6 if this work is agreeable to thee1 procure for me the funds to do it4 ,that same day1 after the catechism1 he said to us3 ,i have found #bjj francs in my drawer4 ,how good ,god is6 ,well1 exclaimed ,jeanne ,marie ,chaney1 since it is miraculous silver1 we must keep some of it4 ,yes6 replied the cure1 it is celestial money4 ,jeanne ,marie kept four of the five franc pieces1 replacing them by others4 ,she regretted she had not done the same with all the pieces4 ,when1 a little later1 he wished to increase this ,fondement ,father ,vianney prayed again in the same vein1 adding1 however1 the request that the #bjj francs must be given to him that evening1 or the gift would not be considered an answer to his petition4 ,it was but a little while later1 when a benefactor approached him with an offering of #cjj francs4 ,his prayer was answered4 ,he took only the sum which he had prayed for4 ,it was in the unceasing war that he waged against the desecration of the ,lord's day that his people beheld frequently their saintly pastor's power over the elements4 ,we shall cite an instance3 ,one ,sunday in ,july there was a full harvest1 the wheat bending to the earth4 ,during the ,high ,mass a violent wind arose and threatening clouds gathered2 a destructive tempest was apparently about to break4 ,the holy priest entered the pulpit1 forbade his people to touch their crops that day1 and promised them a continuation of good weather sufficient for the gathering in of the harvest4 ,his prediction was verified2 the storm passed over and no rain fell for twelve days4 ,in the depths of human souls miracles abounded in ,ars4 ,for the conversion of sinners the holy cure lived2 for them he entered upon his thorny way of heroic penance4 ,his whole life was characterized by prayer1 penance and self-abnegation4 ,all counted as nothing if he could win the conversion of his parish1 dreaming not of a world to be won from beyond its borders4 ,his first great conversion was that of a woman prominent in the ,jansenist sect for her attachment to error and the indiscreet ardor of her proselytism4 ,she was present during ,vespers1 in the church of ,ars1 on a feast of the ,blessed ,virgin1 in the early days of the cure's pastorate4 ,to the surprise of all1 she entered the confessional after the service4 ,the words of the holy confessor in the sacred tribunal finished the work that his very aspect alone had begun4 ,her conversion was thorough and lasting4 ,she withdrew from her former associates and took up her abode in the little village of ,ars4 ,another miracle of grace1 chosen from many1 is the following1 briefly told3 ,a learned geologist was led to visit ,ars4 ,as a boy he had made his ,first ,communion during the reign of terror4 ,left an orphan at the age of twelve years he was adopted by an army officer1 whom he accompanied to ,egypt4 ,his religious experiences had been varied1 for he had tested ,mohamedanism1 ,judaism1 ,protestantism and had been a disciple of ,chanel1 ,pere ,enfantine and ,cabet4 ,on his first visit to ,ars he sat facing the door through which the cure would come to say ,mass4 ,his own words tell the result3 ,his eyes met mine4 ,it was but a look1 yet it penetrated to the depths of my heart1 ,i felt myself crushed under his gaze4 ,after the ,mass this man was drawn by an invisible and irresistible force into the sacristy1 where stood the confessional4 ,the grace of a return to the faith of his youth was given to him4 ,he died in holy sentiments two years afterwards4 ,such spiritual marvels1 worked by the ,blessed ,vianney1 were of frequent occurrence4 ,he wept when sinners refused to weep1 and they left his feet like other ,augustines1 to comfort the mother bowed down with sorrow because of their sins4 ,one young man1 long lost to his ,god1 had been induced to go to ,ars1 before leaving for the army4 ,the holy priest singled him1 out among the crowd1 and beckoned to the young man1 who was seized with a sudden trembling4 ,the sacristy door closed upon them and a miracle was wrought there and then on one who had lost his faith1 his honor and his home4 ,he came out in tears1 remained at ,ars to make a retreat1 and entered an austere religious order to end his days in heroic penance4 ,such are the types of miracles of the spiritual order1 the dearest to him1 worked by the holy pastor of ,ars1 whose worst reproach to the hardened sinner was3 ,what a pity it is6 ,at the hour of death ,god will say to you3 ,why have you offended ,me4 ,i who have loved you so much4 ,the power to lay bare the hidden sins which the cure's unknown penitent concealed from him1 stands forth prominently in his life story and wrought many conversions4 ,so1 too1 that other power1 which divined the future misuse of recovery and sent back the pilgrim1 helped1 not bodily1 but with the healing of patience and resignation1 under some long borne affliction4 ,again1 the similar power to see the future augmentation of holiness in a soul under physical affliction and ,god's will that no cure be wrought2 and still another1 to see some impending cross awaiting at home a pilgrim1 of whom humanly speaking1 he knew nothing1 and to hasten his departure2 or to know by interior sight alone1 a cure wrought at a distance4 ,surely miraculous gifts and all were possessed by the holy cure4 ,,bodily ,,ills ,,miraculously ,,cured4 ,through ,father ,vianney were affected cures of the mentally afflicted1 of paralytics from birth or accident1 of sufferers from cancer and bronchial affection4 ,there are those whose tongue had never spoken1 whose ear had never heard1 whose eye had never seen until the holy cure's word had gone forth3 ,make a novena to ,st4 ,philomena2 ,i will pray with you4 ,a nervous malady racked the being of ,mademoiselle ,zoe ,pradille and deprived her of the power of walking1 of kneeling1 of reading and listening to reading and of eating without excruciating pain4 ,expert medical treatment was secured at home and a thorough test was made of health resorts1 all without avail1 until at last the pilgrimage was made to ,ars and the novena was said1 resulting in a complete cure as attested to by a physician who had known the case well for six years out of the eight which the patient had suffered4 ,a house1 during its course of removal1 fell and buried under the ruins a little child and her grandmother4 ,the mother of the little one escaped and ran about distracted1 while the fruitless search went on4 ,some one ran to make the accident known to ,father ,vianney4 ,he knelt first in prayer1 then hastened to the spot1 blessed the ruins1 and stood by encouraging the workmen1 who were making the search4 ,the grandmother was rescued unharmed4 ,the child was found after a longer imprisonment in the ruins4 ,she showed not the slightest sign of injury4 ,a member of the cure's household gave an old cap that the cure had worn to a poor woman1 as an alms4 ,the beautiful thought came to her3 ,the holy cure is a saint4 ,if ,i have faith1 my child will be cured4 ,the boy had an abscess on the head4 ,she put the cap on him4 ,that evening1 when she uncovered him to dress the wound1 she found that the sore had disappeared4 ,the child had been cured4 ,to-day1 one wrote from ,ars1 we have had a very remarkable cure4 ,it is of a young nun from the ,alps whose tongue had been completely paralyzed for three years1 after her recovery from typhoid fever4 ,she could converse only by writing on a slate4 ,the day on which she finished her novena1 just as she was about to make her thanksgiving after ,holy ,communion1 she felt that her tongue was articulating the acts4 ,she now can speak4 ,i have seen and heard her4 ,the cure of her home parish and the physician who attended her in her convent1 testified to her recovery4 ,one of the remarkable cures1 instantly and publicly effected in presence of all the pilgrims1 was that of a young man from ,pud de ,dome who could walk only with difficulty and with the aid of crutches4 ,my ,father1 do you think ,i will leave my crutches here8 was his oft-repeated question during the novena4 ,on the feast of the assumption he intercepted the holy priest as he came from the sacristy into the crowded church for the evening exercises and again put the question4 ,yes1 my friend1 if you have faith1 was the reply4 ,instantly the power was given to the young man to walk unaided1 and he hastened to ,st4 ,philomena's chapel to leave his crutches there4 ,his gratitude was the life-long consecration of himself to ,god in the institute of the ,brothers of the ,holy ,family4 ,miracles of this kind caused the priest considerable embarrassment4 ,he sought to hide from the public eye the marvelous results of his ,god-given power manifested daily in his parish1 ,his dear little ,st4 ,philomena1 who never failed him in his hour of need1 heard many plaints from him in which he charged her with working the marvels that were effected through his ministry4 ,such was the humility of the wonder-worker of our own age4 ,the gift of a medal of ,st4 ,philomena was often the preliminary manifestation of miraculous power4 ,this gift was followed by a request that a novena be made to the saint1 ,father ,vianney promising to pray also4 ,the result was frequently the desired miracle1 which was in reality the outcome of the cure's powerful pleading with ,god4 ,nevertheless1 it could easily be laid at the door of his dear little saint4 ,this was especially so on occasions when the sufferers were not brought to the village or when the cures did not take place until the afflicted ones were far distant from the ordinary scene of the miracles4 ,a noteworthy instance1 in which the good ,god seemed1 as it were1 to play into ,vianney's hands at times1 by allowing ,st4 ,philomena to have the full credit of the miracle1 was that of the poor wandering musician4 ,he came to the holy cure begging the latter to heal his lame child4 ,after persuading this man to go to confession he blessed him and sent him home1 making him promise to mend his evil ways and to cease carrying on an abuse against which the priest waged a relentless war1 namely1 the village dances1 which were held on ,sundays and festivals4 ,when the musician entered his home1 he broke his violin and cast the pieces into the fire1 to the great dismay of his wife1 who saw their family means of sustenance consumed4 ,but his lame child1 crying out with joy1 leaped across the room to welcome his father4 ,the child was completely cured4 ,father ,vianney's tenderness was once deeply stirred at the sight of a mother bearing on her back a paralyzed boy of eight years1 a cripple from birth4 ,the cure was apparently turning a deaf ear to the mother's repeated appeals for the cure of her child1 content with giving them a glance of pity and sympathy and a blessing4 ,yet1 as the result seems to show1 his soul must have spoken some word to the soul of the child1 audible to none other4 ,at night the mother left the church with a disappointed heart4 ,while undressing her little son1 in a lodging near by1 the boy told her she must go out early in the morning to buy him a pair of new shoes4 ,for1 said he1 ,father ,vianney promised that ,i would walk to-morrow4 ,not a word had been spoken to the child1 but his mother did his bidding1 and put the new shoes on him4 ,the miracle1 delayed in the crowded church1 was wrought at the moment in the lowly lodging room4 ,the child1 crippled from birth1 ran to the church1 crying3 ,i am cured1 ,i am cured4 ,the miraculous power of the cure's sanctity which1 during thirty years1 attracted considerable attention1 could have been welcomed by him for one reason alone1 that it helped so much in the aim of his life--the conversion of sinners4 ,that it was the reward not only of his simple faith but of the heroic and unceasing penance which he performed in order to secure the salvation of souls1 seems implied in words of his own4 ,a friend in the priesthood once said to him1 when a much needed sum of money had come in an astonishing way3 ,tell me1 ,father ,vianney1 the way to work miracles4 ,the holy man1 with a serious air1 replied3 ,my friend1 there is nothing which disconcerts the devil so much1 and attracts the graces of ,god1 more than fasting and prayerful watchings4 ,his life1 it may be truly said1 was one incessant prayer and vigil4 ,a simple peasant has beautifully said3 ,it is not astonishing that he works miracles4 ,he is a servant of ,god4 ,god obeys his servants4 ,they tell us of marvelous things that took place here1 said a pilgrim who but echoed the words of many1 but the grand miracle of ,ars is the life1 so penitent and laborious1 of the cure4 ,no miracles showed more clearly his extraordinary gifts and graces than the power which his spirit possessed over his poor emaciated body2 and no miracle was greater than his absolute control over his physical state when he seemed on the verge of dissolution1 a control that enabled him to bear the over-powering burden of his incessant labors for souls1 without sinking under the load4 ,a miracle alone can explain this extraordinary existence4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,interior ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,cure4 ,,in the preceding chapters we have recounted many things both edifying and interesting in the external life of the pious cure4 ,but for a better knowledge of his noble personality we must look into his inner life4 ,many readers of these lines have doubtless asked themselves how the cure1 in his unremitting labors for others1 could have bestowed the necessary care upon his own soul4 ,let it be understood that the very moment when the cure seemed to have any leisure for himself1 he was more actively engaged in the business of his own spiritual welfare4 ,then were displayed those beautiful virtues which showed him to be an example of charity and meekness1 of voluntary sacrifice and humility4 ,the very glow from his clear eyes revealed the genuine piety by which he was animated4 ,to all who approached him1 ,father ,vianney showed a befitting attention and respect4 ,indeed1 with increasing years1 he was even more affable than before4 ,and yet to what trials was not his patience subjected8 ,almost daily1 as he passed through the village square1 people would crowd about him1 tug at his soutane and ask questions1 which were oftimes trivial1 if not foolish4 ,father ,vianney never met importunate persons with so much as a harsh word or a frown4 ,his unchanging kindness toward all earned for him in his life-time the title of the ,good ,cure4 ,he was ever considerate of his co-workers1 striving to spare them every irksome duty4 ,in order to show his affection he distributed among them his personal belongings1 including crosses1 medals and relics1 which he dearly prized4 ,for many years before his death he possessed absolutely nothing4 ,he had sold his furniture1 books1 etc41 and had given the proceeds to the poor4 ,the purchasers generally were glad to have him use the articles for which they had given him the money4 ,lenient as ,father ,vianney was towards others1 he was correspondingly severe with himself4 ,he was extremely hard upon his own body1 which he referred to as his corpse4 ,after his superiors had prohibited some of the rigorous mortifications to which he was accustomed1 he devised other forms of self-denial in respect to his daily food4 ,during the last decade of his life he was required1 by order of his superiors1 to take1 every morning1 at least a cup of milk and a roll4 ,brother ,jerome1 who waited upon him1 observed that the cure1 with his usual desire to practice penance1 first ate the dry bread and then drank the milk4 ,for many years ,father ,vianney suffered from violent pains which frequently compelled him to shorten his addresses in the pulpit and sometimes even caused him to collapse4 ,if1 on such occasions1 he were questioned about his illness his only answer was3 ,yes1 ,i am suffering a little4 ,terrible indeed must have been his torture when we consider that his emaciated body1 racked with pain1 was confined for sixteen or seventeen hours a day1 during so many years1 in the narrow space of the confessional4 ,in the winter he suffered greatly from the cold4 ,the north-west wind blowing over the bleak region of the ,jura mountains1 whistled through the door of the church1 which could not be kept closed owing to the constant stream of penitents passing in and out4 ,in summer1 conditions were worse1 if that were possible1 for on account of the location of his confessional1 only the air from the farther side could reach it and that was heated and stifling because of the many persons who were gathered there4 ,frequently1 when ,father ,vianney left the confessional1 he was unable to stand erect1 being obliged to support himself by leaning against the seats or pillars of the church4 ,after a day of such work and suffering he was surely entitled to a full night's rest4 ,but no1 he often said that with one hour of sound sleep he found himself quite refreshed4 ,even this one hour1 however1 was hardly ever allowed him4 ,like one grievously sick he breathed painfully as he lay on his miserable couch of straw4 ,a cough unceasingly racked his body4 ,he arose every night four or five times1 in the hope of getting some relief by walking up and down4 ,when at last thoroughly exhausted he slept only for a short time4 ,when the hour for rising had come1 this poor1 feeble septuagenarian with a heroic effort tore himself away from the rest which he had hardly enjoyed and began the work of another day as long and as trying as that which had gone before4 ,to these corporal sufferings was added spiritual anguish of the bitterest kind4 ,in his own life the cure was a saint1 chaste1 magnanimous and faithful1 and yet1 day after day1 he had to listen in the confessional to an endless recital of sins against those virtues4 ,loving ,god as he did1 with his whole soul1 he could not but suffer when listening to the recital of most grievous offences committed against the ,divine ,majesty4 ,his heart was torn thereby and not infrequently his anguish manifested itself in a flood of tears4 ,one day while giving instructions in catechism1 he cried out3 ,there is no one in the world more unhappy than the guardian of souls4 ,how does he spend his time8 ,in hearing how the good ,god has been offended and ,his love rejected6 ,like ,st4 ,peter the poor priest is ever to be found in the court of ,pilate4 ,the ,divine ,saviour is always before his gaze1 derided1 scorned and reviled4 ,some sinners are spitting upon ,his countenance1 others rain blows upon ,his defenceless head2 still others crown ,him with thorns and scourge ,him until the blood flows4 ,he is buffeted about1 thrown on the ground and trampled upon4 ,he is crucified and ,his heart is transpierced4 ,alas6 had ,i known what it meant to be a confessor1 instead of going to a seminary ,i would rather have fled to a ,trappist ,monastery4 ,it would have been some consolation and encouragement if the poor cure's humility had allowed him to rejoice at the tremendous success of his spiritual labors4 ,but no matter what wonderful effects his ministry produced1 he always regarded himself as most incapable of discharging his priestly duties as they should be performed4 ,with unaffected sympathy did he speak of his poor soul1 his poor corpse his poor sins and his poor misery1 praying that ,god in ,his goodness would bear with them4 ,without his humility1 ,father ,vianney undoubtedly would not have become a saint4 ,how otherwise could he have withstood for years the enthusiastic veneration of the thousands who were the witnesses of his holy life4 ,one day1 when ,bishop ,devie1 of ,belley1 in the ardor of conversation1 gave him the title of the holy cure1 ,father ,vianney in despair ejaculated3 ,oh1 what a misfortune for me6 ,your reverence even is deceived in me4 ,he was more than surprised when1 in ,august1 in the year #ahee1 he was nominated a ,knight of the ,legion of ,honor4 ,of course he never wore the badge nor availed himself in any way of the distinction4 ,against the onrush of a multitude of corporal and spiritual anxieties and cares he sought consolation in prayer4 ,it has remained almost completely a secret what supernatural consolations were vouchsafed to the blessed cure4 ,on that subject he always preserved a strict silence4 ,he prayed practically throughout the whole night1 for his sufferings1 as mentioned above1 allowed him only a few minutes rest at a time4 ,what he recommended to others in the catechism lessons1 he himself constantly practiced4 ,he was wont to say1 for instance3 ,see now1 dear children1 should you wake up during the night1 go quickly in spirit before the tabernacle and say to our ,saviour3 ,here am ,i1 ,o ,lord1 ,i adore ,thee1 ,i praise ,thee1 ,i thank ,thee1 ,i love ,thee and with the ,angels let me keep ,thee company4 ,during the day all his spare time was devoted to prayer4 ,in visiting the sick his thoughts were always with ,god4 ,but his prayers were of the most simple kind4 ,he favored simplicity in every action4 ,in the church1 before the ,blessed ,sacrament1 the pious cure's sense of the ,real ,presence was so vivid that a colleague1 who noticed his radiant look1 regarded him with astonishment1 thinking ,father ,vianney with his corporal eyes1 beheld some one there4 ,this intuition of the ,divine ,presence the pious man referred to1 one day1 saying3 ,that is faith when we speak to ,god as a fellow man6 ,despite the ardor of his desire for ,god's blissful vision1 he had to struggle for many decades in the exile of this life1 persevering in work and prayer4 ,only when his venerable age and increasing infirmities disabled him from further laboring in the conversion of sinners1 did our ,divine ,lord see fit to take this soul to ,himself4 ,the cure was then in his seventy-fourth year4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,death ,,and ,,beatification ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,cure4 ,,it was in the summer of #ahei1 that the venerable cure showed that his energies were nearly spent4 ,he was then heard repeatedly to exclaim3 ,alas1 the sinners will kill the sinner4 ,on ,friday1 ,july #bith1 after having as usual spent from sixteen to seventeen hours in the confessional1 he returned to the rectory completely exhausted4 ,he sank into a chair saying3 ,i can do no more4 ,the priest who saw him1 immediately put him to bed4 ,on the following morning his illness was so pronounced that a fatal termination was feared4 ,in the village and among the numerous visitors to ,ars the greatest sorrow was felt4 ,for three days the church was crowded with the faithful1 praying that their cure might not be taken from them4 ,the cure did not join his prayers to those of his people for he felt that his last hour was approaching4 ,on ,friday evening he received the last sacraments4 ,he shed tears of love when the ,holy ,viaticum was brought to him and as ,extreme ,unction was being administered4 ,for the last time he blessed all who were present as well as his whole parish4 ,on ,wednesday morning he smilingly acknowledged the greeting of his bishop1 who had hurried to his bedside4 ,on ,thursday1 ,aug4 #dth1 at two o'clock in the morning1 while his friend and assistant1 the ,abbe ,monnin1 was saying the prayers for the dying and had just uttered the words3 ,may the holy ,angels of ,god come forth to meet him and conduct him into the city of the ,heavenly ,jerusalem1 the loving soul left his frail body to be received1 as we may devoutly hope1 into the presence of the ,divine ,master1 whom he had served so long and so faithfully4 ,the demise of the good cure was immediately made known to the sorrowing community4 ,on ,saturday of that week the interment took place4 ,almost six thousand persons1 many of whom came from afar1 attended the funeral4 ,three hundred priests accompanied the remains to the grave4 ,the bishop of ,belley1 in his eulogy1 selected his text from the office of the feast of the ,saints and ,confessors3 ,well done1 thou good and faithful servant1 enter into the joy of thy ,lord4 ,all present understood the sentiments which prompted the selection of that particular text and trusted that their hope would not be disappointed4 ,rarely has a process of beatification been set in motion so quickly as was that of ,john ,baptist ,vianney4 ,hardly forty-five years had elapsed since the remains of the deceased were laid at rest1 under the pulpit of his parish church1 when the ,holy ,see announced its decision permitting the beatification process to be introduced4 ,as early as ,oct1 #c;d1 #ahgd1 ,pope ,pius ,,ix1 after examining the various writings and biographical notices relating to the deceased and published by reliable contemporaries1 conferred on the humble cure the title ,venerable ,servant of ,god4 ,on ,june #bast1 #ahif1 ,pope ,leo ,,xiii1 presiding1 the last session of the commission took place1 which was to pronounce upon the saintly merits of the venerable cure4 ,the favorable conclusion which everyone expected was announced by ,cardinal ,parocchi4 ,on ,aug4 #ast1 of that year1 ,pope ,leo ,,xiii1 issued a decree reciting the honors paid to the humble cure of ,ars and his own personal admiration for his exalted virtue4 ,seven years later1 in #aijc1 the same ,pope called a session of the commission to consider the testimony and reports relative to the miracles which had taken place at the tomb of the departed4 ,this session1 however1 was not held1 for on the day which had been appointed the venerable pope lay at the point of death and soon after1 viz41 on ,july #bjth1 of that year1 the ,catholic world had to mourn the passing away of its spiritual head4 ,the happy distinction1 however1 of being able to glorify the humble country curate had been reserved by ,god for one who himself had been formerly a plain country curate4 ,on ,aug4 #dth1 #aijc1 at the very hour1 when at ,ars they were celebrating a solemn ,high ,mass on the forty-fourth anniversary of the death of ,john ,baptist ,vianney1 another solemn ceremony was taking place at ,rome1 viz41 the election of the former village cure of ,salzano1 later ,cardinal ,sarto1 patriarch of ,venice1 to the ,papacy1 who chose for himself the title of ,pius ,x4 ,as early as ,jan4 #bfth1 #aijd1 the new supreme pontiff presided at that session of the cardinals over which his illustrious predecessor had intended to preside4 ,two cases in particular were presented for examination4 ,one was a question of the sudden cure of the youthful ,adelaide ,joly1 and the other1 that of little ,leo ,roussat4 ,the latter1 after a violent attack of epilepsy1 in the year #ahfb1 had to be carried to the grave of the late cure4 ,one of his arms hung crippled at his side2 his power of speech was gone1 and his breathing so difficult that he was unable to retain the saliva in his mouth4 ,after a short time spent in prayer at the grave of the cure he was removed4 ,the hand formerly crippled was now able to give alms to the poor and the boy recovered the use of his limbs and walked about4 ,at the conclusion of the novena he was able to speak without further trouble4 ,in ,feb41 #ahfa1 the girl ,adelaide1 owing to a malignant swelling of the arm1 had been given up as incurable by the doctors in the ,lyons hospital4 ,then one of her relatives who possessed a piece of linen1 which had belonged to the cure of ,ars1 laid it upon the affected arm4 ,in prayer they besought the intercession of the venerable servant of ,god to obtain relief for the suffering girl4 ,to the astonishment of the doctors the swelling was suddenly reduced in a few hours and the arm was restored to its normal condition4 ,after the counsel of cardinals had pronounced a favorable opinion in respect to the miraculous nature of these cures1 a papal decree1 dated ,feb4 #bast1 #aijd1 declared these facts sufficiently established to justify the beatification of the venerable man4 ,the ,holy ,father himself gave unrestrained expression to the joy which he felt when he was enabled to admit into the ranks of the blessed one who1 according to his own words1 had been for many years a shining example to him4 ,,litany ,,and ,,prayer ,,in ,,honor ,,of ,blessed ,john ,b4 ,marie ,vianney4 ,,cure ,,of ,,ars4 7,,for ,,private ,,devotion47 ,lord1 have mercy on us4 ,christ1 have mercy on us4 ,lord1 have mercy on us4 ,christ1 hear us4 ,christ1 graciously hear us4 ,god the ,father of ,heaven1 have mercy on us4 ,god the ,son1 ,redeemer of the world1 have mercy on us4 ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 have mercy on us4 ,holy ,trinity1 one ,god1 have mercy on us4 ,holy ,mary1 pray for us4 ,blessed ,john ,marie1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 endowed with grace from thine infancy1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 model of filial piety1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 devoted servant of the ,immaculate ,heart of ,mary1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 spotless lily of purity1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 faithful imitator of the sufferings of ,christ1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 abyss of humility1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 seraphim in prayer1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 faithful adorer of the ,most ,blessed ,sacrament1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 ardent lover of holy poverty1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 tender friend of the poor1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 penetrated with the fear of ,god's judgment1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 fortified by ,divine visions1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 who wast tormented by the evil spirit1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 perfect model of sacerdotal virtue1 pray for us4 ,b1 ,j4 ,m41 firm and prudent pastor1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 inflamed by zeal1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 faithful attendant on the sick1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 indefatigable catechist1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 who didst preach in words of fire1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 wise director of souls1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 specially gifted with the spirit of counsel1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 enlightened by light from ,heaven1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 formidable to ,satan1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 compassionate with every misery1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 providence of the orphans1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 favored with the gift of miracles1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 who didst reconcile so many sinners with ,god1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 who didst confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 who didst taste the sweetness of death1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 who dost now rejoice in the glory of ,heaven1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 helpful to all those who invoke thee1 pray for us4 ,b4 ,j4 ,m41 patron of the clergy1 pray for us4 ,lamb of ,god1 who takest away the sins of the world1 ,spare us1 ,o ,lord4 ,lamb of ,god1 who takest away the sins of the world1 ,hear us1 ,o ,lord4 ,lamb of ,god1 who takest away the sins of the world1 ,have mercy on us1 ,o ,lord4 ,christ1 hear us4 ,christ1 graciously hear us4 ,v4 ,pray for us1 ,blessed ,john ,marie1 ,r4 ,that we may be made worthy of the promises of ,christ4 ,,let ,,us ,,pray4 ,almighty and merciful ,god1 who didst make the ,blessed ,john ,marie admirable in his pastoral zeal and in his constant love of penance1 grant us the grace1 we implore ,thee1 to win for ,christ1 by his example and intercession1 the souls of our brethren1 and to attain with them everlasting glory4--,o1 ,bl4 ,john ,marie1 incomparable laborer in the field confided to thee1 obtain for the ,church the realization of ,jesus' desire4 ,the harvest is abundant1 but the laborers are few4 ,pray to the ,master of the harvest to send faithful laborers into ,his vineyard4 ,o1 ,bl4 ,john ,marie6 ,intercede for the clergy4 ,may thy patronage1 and thy prayer multiply the real vocations to the priesthood4 ,may the ,holy ,ghost grant thee emulators2 may ,he give us ,saints6 ,through ,christ1 our ,lord4 ,amen4 ,,novena ,,in ,,honor ,,of ,,blessed ,,john ,,baptist ,,vianney4 ,,first ,,day4--,,faith4 ,on this first day of the novena we shall consider the faith of this holy man4 ,a lively faith is necessary in order to please ,god4 ,we believe every word which ,god has spoken by ,his ,holy ,church4 ,we must practise this faith also in works4 ,faith without works is dead4 ,without works it would be only an empty assertion that we believe4 ,in a firm unflinching faith ,blessed ,vianney lived and died and became a saint4 ,,prayer ,,for ,,faith4 ,pour into my soul1 ,o ,god1 through the intercession of the ,blessed ,vianney1 pastor of ,ars1 a deep lively heartfelt faith6 ,that faith will be my salvation1 as it was the salvation of all the saints who are now in ,heaven4 ,amen4 ,then is said the ,litany to the ,blessed ,vianney and the prayer4 ,in these days of frequent ,communion1 it were well if ,holy ,communion could be received at the beginning of the novena and also at the end4 ,better still1 if it could be received every day during the novena4 ,,second ,,day4--,,christian ,,hope4 ,consider the blessings of ,christian hope4 ,it is a trust in ,god1 in ,his ,providence1 a lively1 filial1 trustful submission to the will of ,god1 knowing that ,god will ordain things to ,his greater glory and to our spiritual benefit4 ,what consolation is found in a ,christian hope6 ,how sweet it is6 ,we cannot be disappointed if we trust in ,god1 ,who cannot deceive4 ,hope is our spiritual life and the principle of our active perseverance in it4 ,how dreary is the world without hope6 ,how glorious life becomes with hope6 ,god puts hope into our hearts4 ,,prayer ,,for ,,hope4 ,give me1 ,o ,lord1 that hope which raised the spirit of ,blessed ,vianney1 that hope which gave him patience in long suffering4 ,he did all with the hope that ,thy glory would be enhanced4 ,infuse into my heart the desire to do good work for ,thy sake4 ,here say the litany and prayer to the ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,third ,,day4--,,the ,,love ,,of ,,god4 ,on the third day we shall consider the love of ,god4 ,we must love ,god above all things1 live in love1 continue in love unto the end4 ,love the ,son of ,god1 ,jesus ,christ1 love the ,church1 the ,spouse of our ,lord4 ,the love of ,god will bring us to ,heaven4 ,god will give us everything if we love ,him4 ,it is so reasonable to love ,god2 in fact1 man is a fool if he does not love ,god4 ,it is our religion1 our happiness and our supreme blessing4 ,it is our very ,heaven1 here upon earth4 ,the happiness of ,heaven1 commenced in this world even imperfectly1 will be continued for all eternity1 if we persevere to the end4 ,,prayer ,,for ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,god4 ,o my ,god1 ,i love ,thee with my whole heart1 and above all things because ,thou1 ,o ,god1 art the ,sovereign ,good and for ,thine own infinite perfections art most worthy of all love4 ,litany and prayer to the ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,fourth ,,day4--,,the ,,love ,,of ,,our ,,neighbor4 ,this day will be given to the consideration of the love which we should have for our neighbor4 ,let us impress the love of our neighbor deeply on our mind4 ,it is so very important4 ,it is second only to the love of ,god4 ,you cannot do anything pleasing to ,god unless you do it out of a motive for the love of ,god or for our neighbor4 ,those have been the greatest human beings who loved ,god above all things and their neighbor as themselves4 ,,prayer ,,to ,,obtain ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,our ,,neighbor4 ,my dear ,jesus1 lover of all mankind1 teach me to love my neighbor as ,thou didst love even ,thine enemies4 ,blessed ,vianney was ,thy faithful follower in the practice of this virtue4 ,he loved the souls of men4 ,let me also imbibe1 from a devotion to him1 the same love for souls4 ,litany and prayers to ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,fifth ,,day4--,,humility4 ,the great virtue of our blessed saint was humility4 ,let us try to imitate and understand this virtue4 ,we will find some good souls who never think much of themselves4 ,they want to be always in the background4 ,they do not want to be considered at all4 ,nevertheless they are always doing good4 ,these are precious in the sight of ,god4 ,,prayer ,,for ,,humility4 ,o sweet and humble ,jesus1 give me also the precious virtue of humility1 which ,thou didst give so abundantly to ,thy servant ,vianney1 so that ,i also may be pleasing in ,thy sight and pleasing before man4 ,no virtue is so attractive as humility4 ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 exaltest the humble4 ,to be great in ,thy sight and approved by ,thee is the object of my desire4 ,litany and prayers to ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,sixth ,,day4--,,love ,,of ,,poverty4 ,love of poverty is an active sincere love4 ,the lack of possessions1 the desire not to have any1 giving to the poor what we have1 or what we do not need1 is poverty4 ,practice self-denial4 ,save to give to the poor1 to build hospitals1 orphan asylums1 churches4 ,have ,masses said for the poor suffering souls in ,purgatory4 ,,prayer ,,for ,,poverty4 ,thou hast said1 ,o ,lord1 ,blessed is he who understands the poor4 ,let me have that knowledge4 ,it is the practical way to show my love for my neighbor in distress4 ,let me also1 like ,thyself1 be a good ,samaritan1 doing good and relieving want4 ,not only should ,i be poor in spirit1 but ,i must also love to be poor in fact1 for the poor are the brethren of ,christ4 ,litany and prayers to ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,seventh ,,day4--,,mortification4 ,this day shall be devoted to the virtue of mortification4 ,put away the comforts of eating and drinking1 the extravagance of living1 personal luxuries4 ,live simply and like a poor man4 ,be simple in dress1 but be well dressed4 ,be abstemious at your table4 ,especially guard against over indulgence in drink4 ,abstemiousness in drink is a very commendable virtue4 ,deny yourself many things that are unnecessary4 ,do not yield to all the promptings of the appetite4 ,be temperate4 ,,prayer ,,to ,,obtain ,,the ,,grace ,,of ,,mortification4 ,thou hast commanded the mortification of the flesh from the beginning1 ,o ,lord4 ,from the beginning1 the desires of the flesh have been the bane of a good life4 ,when shall ,thy grace1 ,o ,lord1 inspire me with some degree of that firmness and faithful adherence to ,thee4 ,suffer not my heart to be overcome by that inconstancy which is so natural to it1 nor allow my life to be a perpetual succession of evil practices and infidelities4 ,grant that my heart may be all ,thine1 at all times and forever4 ,and that by mortification ,i may merit eternal happiness4 ,litany and prayers to ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,eighth ,,day4--,,prayer4 ,we must pray all the time4 ,every act must be a prayer4 ,the spirit of prayer must be in our whole ,christian life4 ,we must pray if we want to do anything great in the spiritual life4 ,a life without prayer is a most barren period of time4 ,prayer is the intimate converse with ,god4 ,our ,saint was always intimately united to ,god in prayer4 ,blessed ,vianney never ceased praying4 ,,prayer ,,for ,a ,,true ,,spirit ,,of ,,devotion4 ,how sweet1 ,o ,lord1 to breathe only ,thy love and to say to ,thee with my whole heart3 ,my ,god and my all6 ,grant that words may enter into my soul6 do then1 impress them upon my mind and my heart so that ,i may understand and practice them4 ,let me be devoted to prayer4 ,make it a delight to converse with ,thee4 ,let me pray for everything ,i need and before every undertaking1 so that with prayer every work may begin and with prayer be happily ended4 ,thou art my ,saviour4 ,may ,i possess ,thee in prayer here on earth and mayest ,thou be my portion for all eternity in ,heaven4 ,litany and prayers to ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,ninth ,,day4--,,devotion ,,to ,,mary4 ,on the last day of the novena we must try to learn and begin to cultivate a devotion1 which appeals to the heart of every ,catholic1 that is1 the devotion to the ,mother of ,god4 ,what is a ,catholic life without love to ,mary6 ,how dark and dreary is a life without the spiritual consolation of the ,communion of the ,saints6 ,in short1 have a great devotion to ,mary4 ,pray to her with confidence like one that has a right to be heard and a right to address her4 ,love ,mary with the sincerest affection4 ,let not a day pass without having said a prayer to her4 ,say your beads every day4 ,wear the scapular in her honor4 ,go to ,confession and ,holy ,communion on her feast days4 ,perform many little acts of religion from the motive of love to the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,,prayer ,,to ,,mary4 ,my dear ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 ,son of the ,virgin ,mary1 grant me the grace to love ,thy mother4 ,this grace is such a distinction1 a grace of salvation1 which ,i must have by all means4 ,hail holy queen1 ,mother of ,mercy1 our life1 our sweetness and our hope4 ,to thee do we cry1 poor banished children of ,eve4 ,to thee do we send up our sighs1 mourning and weeping in this valley of tears4 ,turn thou1 most gracious advocate1 thine eyes of mercy towards us1 and after our exile show unto us the fruit of thy blessed womb1 ,o most loving1 most pious and sweet virgin ,mary4 ,pray for us1 ,o holy ,mother of ,god1 that we may be worthy of the promises of ,christ4 ,litany and prayers to ,blessed ,vianney4 ,,prayer ,,to ,,blessed ,,vianney4 ,i thank ,thee1 my ,god1 for the grace of this novena to ,thy blessed servant1 ,vianney4 ,i beg of ,thee1 first1 that ,i may learn the singular virtues of this blessed man--his piety1 mortification1 poverty1 love of ,god and our neighbor4 ,let me become1 in this way1 a useful member of the human family4 ,i have1 ,o ,lord1 prayed to ,thy blessed servant ,vianney1 that he may pray for me and my intention4 7,here mention the intention47 ,many graces have been known to have been granted to those who have prayed with this spirit4 ,even miracles have been wrought by ,thee1 ,o ,god1 in approval of this devotion4 ,encouraged by the merits of the life of the ,blessed ,vianney1 ,i beg ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 to obtain for me the grace and favor of this novena1 through ,jesus ,christ1 our ,lord4 ,amen4 ,conclusion of the ,novena4