Catholic Fire

St. John Mary Vianney, (Saint Jean Baptiste Vianney in French), also known as the Cure of Ars, is such a special saint that one post hardly seems enough to write about how holy and precious he is. I would like to share a brief biography as well as some of my favorite quotes, and prayers to St. John Vianney. Today marks the 150th anniversary of the saint’s death and comes during the newly-begun Year for Priests . Pope Benedict inaugurated the Year for Priests on June 19, and wrote a Letter to Clergy, encouraging all priests to look to the Curé of Ars as an example of dedication to one’s priestly calling. St. John Vianney was born May 8, 1786 in the village of Dardilly in France. The son of a poor farmer, he worked as a shepherd on the farm in his youth and taught other children their prayers and catechism. He did not receive any formal education until he was 20 years old. While a student, he was called for military service, and became a delinquent military recruit more or less becaus...

NEW PAPAL ENCYCLICAL The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict’s third encyclical, “Caritas in veritate” (Charity in Truth) will be presented on Tuesday, July 7 at 11:30 a.m. local time. BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for July is: "That the Christians of the Middle East may live their faith in full freedom and be an instrument of peace and reconciliation". His mission intention is: "That the Church may be the seed and nucleus of a humanity reconciled and reunited in God's one and only family, thanks to the testimony of all the faithful in every country of the world". WEDNESDAY AUDIENCE The Year for Priests was again the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square. The Pope began his remarks by expressing the hope that the Year "may be an opportunity for the inner renewal of all priests and, consequentl...

When Pope Benedict XVI recently proclaimed June 2009 through June 2010 The Year of the Priesthood, dedicated to Saint John Vianney, Leonardo Defilippis was overjoyed. That's because Defilippis, the director and star of the feature film THÉRÈSE, has been working for two and a half years on a new live production on John Vianney, which will open on August 4, 2009, the 150th anniversary of the saint's death. The U.S. tour of VIANNEY will travel to parishes, theaters, seminaries, universities and throughout the Catholic school system, as a significant contribution to the year-long celebration and renewal of the priesthood and family life. "The Pope's focus on John Vianney is right on target," says Defilippis. "The Curé of Ars is the saint who will inspire all of us, especially young people, with a deeper understanding of the heroic life of the priest. I believe we'll see a tremendous upsurge in vocations from this Year of the Priesthood - because our youth are...

"The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." "O, how great is the priest! ... If he realized what he is, he would die." "Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption here on earth...What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door? The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods...Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest and they will end by worshiping the beasts there..The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you." ~ St. John Vianney

Check out Fr. Roderick's Worldwide Twitter Campaign for Vocations. The goal is to have several people praying for future priests on each day of the Year of the Priest.

New York - Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, announced today that Priests for Life is inviting the laity to prepare a massive spiritual bouquet which will be presented this Fall to all the priests of the country. The faithful are invited to pledge prayers, rosaries, chaplets, holy hours, and sacrifices for priests, that they may be protected in body and spirit, and may grow in holiness and in the fruitfulness of their ministry. This can be done at www.YearofPriests.org . "Priests are heralds of the Gospel of Life, and are called to stir up the gifts of God's people to build the culture of life. In our day, when restoring protection for the right to life is the top moral imperative, the Catholic faithful thirst in a particular way for the leadership of priests in this arena, and eagerly pray for it," Fr. Pavone added. Along with pledging a spiritual bouquet, people are invited to share their stories about their favorite priests.

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ON EWTN FRIDAY: VESPERS FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE YEAR FOR PRIESTS - LIVE (2hr) The Pope celebrates the beginning of the Year for priests by welcoming the relics of the 'Cure of Ars' followed by Vespers to inaugurate the special year for priests. The year will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Vianney, Cure of Ars. Live from St. Peter's Basilica. Fri 6/19/09 11:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM PT