Saint John Mary Vianney

4th August

Saint John Mary Vianney is also known as the Curé d’Ars (Curé is another word for chaplain).

During his childhood, John Mary Vianney lived in France. It was the period of the French Revolution, when people could not practise their religion in public. Mass and the Eucharist were celebrated in secret. At the age of 13, he received his First Holy Communion secretly on his father’s farm while the workers continued to work as usual so as not to attract the attention of the Revolutionary Authority.

Vianney stayed strong in his beliefs and although he was not very intelligent, God chose him to become a priest.

He became known for his exemplary life of simplicity and sincerity, based on his love for Jesus, and for his sweet and convincing words that redirected many people toward God. This happened in Ars, a small village in France where Vianney was a chaplain. Pope Pius, four years after canonizing him appointed him as the Patron saint of Parish Priests.

We are very blessed to be surrounded by such beautiful churches and by priests who are willing to offer their help and service every day. We often take this blessing for granted. We do not appreciate this family, our own parish church, a family that unites us with the Universal Family – the Catholic Church.

Let us help the children to see the parish church more as a family!

Encourage the children to make a small project about their parish church. Suggest to them that they will be journalists for one day, to search for information about their own parish church (if they are still young, give them this information yourself). It would be interesting for them to find an occasion where they can speak with the parish priest and to become familiar with him.

They can gather information on:

  • The full name of the parish priest
  • The work of the parish priest
  • To whom is the parish church dedicated
  • The feast day of the parish church
  • The mass schedule
  • Whether there are:
    • Other priests
    • Other churches
    • Any convents
    • Groups of laities that work within the parish church

During prayer:  encourage the children to say a thanksgiving prayer to God for their parish church, for the churches that surround us, for all the priests who bring Christ to us during the Eucharist.

Saint John Mary Vianney was born in a small family of farmers and he used to take care of sheep. It was very difficult for Vianney to become a priest, but he never gave up. When he became a priest, he was made the chaplain of Ars, where people had apathy towards God. With his determination and with God’s help, Vianney managed to direct plenty of people towards God, especially through to the Sacrament of Confession.

Today choose to do a jigsaw puzzle! It is very important not to stop in the middle of this activity so that you learn not to give up and to be determined to finish whatever you start.

You can also put a biscuit on your forehead. Use your facial movements to drop the biscuit into your mouth without using your hands! Do not give up and keep on trying! If you are determined to do it, you will succeed for sure!

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Saints of the Church. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the holy life, helping you to connect the saints to daily life in a meaningful way.