July 26, 2025 • 10 mins
Discover the extraordinary life of Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, commonly known as St John Vianney, a French parish priest who is celebrated in the Catholic Church as a saint and the patron saint of all priests. Known fondly as the Curé dArs, his parish work led to a profound spiritual transformation in his community, making him an internationally recognized figure. His saintly life, dedicated ministry, and ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Saint Philomena were all instrumental in this transformation. This brief biography, written before his canonization in 1925, offers a stirring glimpse into the life of this much-loved saint. (Summary Adapted from Wikipedia)
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter six of the Life of Blessed John B. Marie Vienni,
Curee of Ours. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain. For more information on
to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Joe Clancy,
Los Angeles, California, The Life of Blessed John B. Marie Vienni,
(00:21):
Curee of Ours, by anonymous Chapter six. In the preceding chapters,
we have recounted many things both edifying and interesting, in
the external life of the pious cure But for a
better knowledge of his noble personality, we must look into
his inner life. Many readers of these lines have doubtless
(00:42):
asked themselves how the curee, and his unremitting labors for others,
could have bestowed the necessary care upon his own soul.
Let it be understood, at the very moment when the
Curee seemed to have any leisure for himself, he was
more actively engaged in the business of his own spirit
to welfare. Then were displayed those beautiful virtues which showed
(01:05):
him to be an example of charity and meekness, of
voluntary sacrifice and humility. The very glow from his clear
eyes revealed the genuine piety by which he was animated.
To all who approached him, Father Vienny showed a befitting
attention and respect. Indeed, with increasing years he was even
(01:25):
more affiable than before. And yet to what trials was
not his patience subjected. Almost daily as he passed through
the village square, people would crowd about him, tug at
his sustain and asked questions which were oft times trivial,
if not foolish. Father Vienny never met importunent persons with
(01:47):
so much as a harsh word or a frown. His
unchanging kindness toward all earned for him in his lifetime
the title of the good Curee. He was ever considerate
of his co work work, striving to spare them every
irksome duty. In order to show his affection, he distributed
among them his personal belongings, including crosses, metals, and relics,
(02:11):
which he dearly prized. For many years before his death
he possessed absolutely nothing. He had sold his furniture, books,
et cetera, and had given the proceeds to the poor.
The purchasers generally were glad to have him used the
articles for which they had given him the money. Leanient.
As Father Vienny was towards others, he was correspondingly severe
(02:34):
with himself. He was extremely hard upon his own body,
which he referred to as his corpse. After his superiors
had prohibited some of the rigorous mortifications to which he
was accustomed, he devised other forms of self denial. In
respect to his daily food. During the last decade of
his life, he was required by order of his superiors
(02:57):
to take every morning at least a cup of milk
and all. Brother Jerome, who waited upon him, observed that
the curee with his usual desire to practice penance, first
ate the dry bread and then drank the milk. For
many years, Father Vienny suffered from violent pains, which frequently
compelled him to shorten his addresses in the pulpit, and
(03:18):
sometimes even caused him to collapse. If on such occasions
he were questioned about his illness, his only answer was, yes,
I am suffering a little terrible indeed must have been
his torture when we consider that his emaciated body, racked
with pain, was confined for sixteen or seventeen hours a
day during so many years in the narrow space of
(03:41):
the confessional. In the winter, he suffered greatly from the cold.
The northwest wind blowing over the bleak region of the
Jura Mountains, whistled through the door of the church, which
could not be kept closed owing to the constant stream
of penitence passing in and out. In summer, conditions were
if that were possible, for on account of the location
(04:03):
of his confessional, only the air from the farther side
could reach it, and that was heated and stifling because
of the many persons who were gathered there. Frequently, when
Father Vienny left the confessional, he was unable to stand erect,
being obliged to support himself by laying against the seats
or pillars of the church. After a day of such
(04:25):
work and suffering, he was surely entitled to a full
night's rest, but no. He often said that with one
hour of sound sleep he found himself quite refreshed. Even
this one hour, however, was hardly ever allowed him Like
one grievously sick, he breathed painfully as he lay on
his miserable couch of straw. A cough unceasingly racked his body.
(04:48):
He arose every night four or five times in the
hope of getting some relief by walking up and down.
When at last thoroughly exhausted, he slept only for a
short time. When the hour for rising had come, this
poor feeble septugenarian, with a heroic effort, tore himself away
from the rest which he had hardly enjoyed, and began
(05:10):
the work of another day as long and as trying
as that which had gone before. To these corporal sufferings
was added spiritual anguish of the bitterest kind. In his
own life. The Curate was a saint, chaste, magnanimous and faithful,
and yet day after day he had to listen in
the confessional to an endless recital of sins against those
(05:32):
virtues loving God, as he did with his whole soul,
he could not but suffer when listening to the recital
of most grievous offenses committed against the divine majesty. His
heart was torn thereby, and not infrequently his anguish manifested
itself in a flood of tears. One day, while giving
instructions in catechism, he cried out, there is no one
(05:56):
in the world more unhappy than the Guardian of souls.
How does he spend his time in hearing how the
Good God has been offended and his love rejected. Like
Saint Peter, the poor priest is ever to be found
in the court of Pilot. The divine Savior is always
before his gaze, derided, scorned, and reviled. Some sinners are
(06:18):
spitting upon his countenance. Others rain blows upon his defenseless head.
Still others crown him with thorns and scourge him until
the blood flows. He is buffeted about, thrown on the ground,
and trampled upon. He is crucified, and his heart is
transpierced Alas, had I known what it meant to be
a confessor, instead of going to a seminary, I'd rather
(06:41):
have fled to a Trappist monastery. It would have been
some consolation and encouragement if the poor Curee's humility had
allowed him to rejoice at the tremendous success of his
spiritual labors. But no matter what wonderful effects his ministry produced,
he always regarded himself as most incapable of discharging his
(07:02):
priestly duties as they should be performed. With unaffected sympathy.
Did he speak of his poor soul, his poor corpse,
his poor sins and his poor misery, praying that God
in his goodness would bear with them. Without his humility,
Father Vienny undoubtedly would not have become a saint. How
(07:23):
otherwise could he have withstood for years the enthusiastic veneration
of the thousands who were the witnesses of his holy life.
One day, when Bishop le de Ville of Belat, in
the Ardor of Conversation gave him the title of the
Holy Curee, Father Vienny, in despair ejaculated, Oh, what a
(07:45):
misfortune for me. Your reverence even is deceived in me.
He was more than surprised when in August in the
year eighteen fifty five, he was nominated a Knight of
the Legion of Honor. Of course, he never wore the badge,
nor eva himself in any way of the distinction against
the on wresh of a multitude of corporal and spiritual
(08:06):
anxieties and cares. He sought consolation in prayer. It has
remained almost completely a secret, with supernatural consolations or vouchsafed
to the blessed Curee. On that subject he always preserved
a strict silence. He prayed practically throughout the whole night
for his sufferings, as mentioned above, allowed him only a
(08:28):
few minutes rest at a time. What he recommended to
others in the Catechism lessons he himself constantly practiced. He
was wont to say, for instance, see now, dear children,
should you wake up during the night, go quickly in
spirit before the tabernacle and say to our Savior, here
am i O Lord, I adore THEE, I praise THEE,
(08:50):
I thank THEE, I love THEE. And with the angels,
let me keep THEE company. During the day, all his
spare time was devoted to prayer and visitess. His thoughts
were always with God, but his prayers were of the
most simple kind. He favored simplicity in every action in
the church. Before the blessed sacrament, the pious Curee's sense
(09:11):
of the real presence was so vivid that a colleague
who noticed his radiant look, regarded him with astonishment, thinking
Father Vienny, with his corporal eyes, beheld some one there
this intuition of the divine presence the pious man referred
to one day saying, that is faith when we speak
to God as a fellow man. Despite the ardor of
(09:34):
his desire for God's blissful vision. He had to struggle
for many decades in the exile of his life, persevering
in work and prayer. Only when his venerable age and
increasing infirmities disabled him from further laboring in the conversion
of sinners did our Divine Lord see fit to take
this soul to himself. The Curee was then in his
(09:56):
seventy fourth year end of chapter six Terior Life of
the Blessed cure
Chapter six of the Life of Blessed John B. Marie Vienni,
Curee of Ours. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain. For more information on
to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Joe Clancy,
Los Angeles, California, The Life of Blessed John B. Marie Vienni,
(00:21):
Curee of Ours, by anonymous Chapter six. In the preceding chapters,
we have recounted many things both edifying and interesting, in
the external life of the pious cure But for a
better knowledge of his noble personality, we must look into
his inner life. Many readers of these lines have doubtless
(00:42):
asked themselves how the curee, and his unremitting labors for others,
could have bestowed the necessary care upon his own soul.
Let it be understood, at the very moment when the
Curee seemed to have any leisure for himself, he was
more actively engaged in the business of his own spirit
to welfare. Then were displayed those beautiful virtues which showed
(01:05):
him to be an example of charity and meekness, of
voluntary sacrifice and humility. The very glow from his clear
eyes revealed the genuine piety by which he was animated.
To all who approached him, Father Vienny showed a befitting
attention and respect. Indeed, with increasing years he was even
(01:25):
more affiable than before. And yet to what trials was
not his patience subjected. Almost daily as he passed through
the village square, people would crowd about him, tug at
his sustain and asked questions which were oft times trivial,
if not foolish. Father Vienny never met importunent persons with
(01:47):
so much as a harsh word or a frown. His
unchanging kindness toward all earned for him in his lifetime
the title of the good Curee. He was ever considerate
of his co work work, striving to spare them every
irksome duty. In order to show his affection, he distributed
among them his personal belongings, including crosses, metals, and relics,
(02:11):
which he dearly prized. For many years before his death
he possessed absolutely nothing. He had sold his furniture, books,
et cetera, and had given the proceeds to the poor.
The purchasers generally were glad to have him used the
articles for which they had given him the money. Leanient.
As Father Vienny was towards others, he was correspondingly severe
(02:34):
with himself. He was extremely hard upon his own body,
which he referred to as his corpse. After his superiors
had prohibited some of the rigorous mortifications to which he
was accustomed, he devised other forms of self denial. In
respect to his daily food. During the last decade of
his life, he was required by order of his superiors
(02:57):
to take every morning at least a cup of milk
and all. Brother Jerome, who waited upon him, observed that
the curee with his usual desire to practice penance, first
ate the dry bread and then drank the milk. For
many years, Father Vienny suffered from violent pains, which frequently
compelled him to shorten his addresses in the pulpit, and
(03:18):
sometimes even caused him to collapse. If on such occasions
he were questioned about his illness, his only answer was, yes,
I am suffering a little terrible indeed must have been
his torture when we consider that his emaciated body, racked
with pain, was confined for sixteen or seventeen hours a
day during so many years in the narrow space of
(03:41):
the confessional. In the winter, he suffered greatly from the cold.
The northwest wind blowing over the bleak region of the
Jura Mountains, whistled through the door of the church, which
could not be kept closed owing to the constant stream
of penitence passing in and out. In summer, conditions were
if that were possible, for on account of the location
(04:03):
of his confessional, only the air from the farther side
could reach it, and that was heated and stifling because
of the many persons who were gathered there. Frequently, when
Father Vienny left the confessional, he was unable to stand erect,
being obliged to support himself by laying against the seats
or pillars of the church. After a day of such
(04:25):
work and suffering, he was surely entitled to a full
night's rest, but no. He often said that with one
hour of sound sleep he found himself quite refreshed. Even
this one hour, however, was hardly ever allowed him Like
one grievously sick, he breathed painfully as he lay on
his miserable couch of straw. A cough unceasingly racked his body.
(04:48):
He arose every night four or five times in the
hope of getting some relief by walking up and down.
When at last thoroughly exhausted, he slept only for a
short time. When the hour for rising had come, this
poor feeble septugenarian, with a heroic effort, tore himself away
from the rest which he had hardly enjoyed, and began
(05:10):
the work of another day as long and as trying
as that which had gone before. To these corporal sufferings
was added spiritual anguish of the bitterest kind. In his
own life. The Curate was a saint, chaste, magnanimous and faithful,
and yet day after day he had to listen in
the confessional to an endless recital of sins against those
(05:32):
virtues loving God, as he did with his whole soul,
he could not but suffer when listening to the recital
of most grievous offenses committed against the divine majesty. His
heart was torn thereby, and not infrequently his anguish manifested
itself in a flood of tears. One day, while giving
instructions in catechism, he cried out, there is no one
(05:56):
in the world more unhappy than the Guardian of souls.
How does he spend his time in hearing how the
Good God has been offended and his love rejected. Like
Saint Peter, the poor priest is ever to be found
in the court of Pilot. The divine Savior is always
before his gaze, derided, scorned, and reviled. Some sinners are
(06:18):
spitting upon his countenance. Others rain blows upon his defenseless head.
Still others crown him with thorns and scourge him until
the blood flows. He is buffeted about, thrown on the ground,
and trampled upon. He is crucified, and his heart is
transpierced Alas, had I known what it meant to be
a confessor, instead of going to a seminary, I'd rather
(06:41):
have fled to a Trappist monastery. It would have been
some consolation and encouragement if the poor Curee's humility had
allowed him to rejoice at the tremendous success of his
spiritual labors. But no matter what wonderful effects his ministry produced,
he always regarded himself as most incapable of discharging his
(07:02):
priestly duties as they should be performed. With unaffected sympathy.
Did he speak of his poor soul, his poor corpse,
his poor sins and his poor misery, praying that God
in his goodness would bear with them. Without his humility,
Father Vienny undoubtedly would not have become a saint. How
(07:23):
otherwise could he have withstood for years the enthusiastic veneration
of the thousands who were the witnesses of his holy life.
One day, when Bishop le de Ville of Belat, in
the Ardor of Conversation gave him the title of the
Holy Curee, Father Vienny, in despair ejaculated, Oh, what a
(07:45):
misfortune for me. Your reverence even is deceived in me.
He was more than surprised when in August in the
year eighteen fifty five, he was nominated a Knight of
the Legion of Honor. Of course, he never wore the badge,
nor eva himself in any way of the distinction against
the on wresh of a multitude of corporal and spiritual
(08:06):
anxieties and cares. He sought consolation in prayer. It has
remained almost completely a secret, with supernatural consolations or vouchsafed
to the blessed Curee. On that subject he always preserved
a strict silence. He prayed practically throughout the whole night
for his sufferings, as mentioned above, allowed him only a
(08:28):
few minutes rest at a time. What he recommended to
others in the Catechism lessons he himself constantly practiced. He
was wont to say, for instance, see now, dear children,
should you wake up during the night, go quickly in
spirit before the tabernacle and say to our Savior, here
am i O Lord, I adore THEE, I praise THEE,
(08:50):
I thank THEE, I love THEE. And with the angels,
let me keep THEE company. During the day, all his
spare time was devoted to prayer and visitess. His thoughts
were always with God, but his prayers were of the
most simple kind. He favored simplicity in every action in
the church. Before the blessed sacrament, the pious Curee's sense
(09:11):
of the real presence was so vivid that a colleague
who noticed his radiant look, regarded him with astonishment, thinking
Father Vienny, with his corporal eyes, beheld some one there
this intuition of the divine presence the pious man referred
to one day saying, that is faith when we speak
to God as a fellow man. Despite the ardor of
(09:34):
his desire for God's blissful vision. He had to struggle
for many decades in the exile of his life, persevering
in work and prayer. Only when his venerable age and
increasing infirmities disabled him from further laboring in the conversion
of sinners did our Divine Lord see fit to take
this soul to himself. The Curee was then in his
(09:56):
seventy fourth year end of chapter six Terior Life of
the Blessed cure
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