St. John Vianney (1786-1859) is regaining popularity among diocesan seminarians. After a generation of being ignored,if not ridiculed,the patron saint of parish priests is once again finding his way into the hearts and minds of seminarians and priests. The Church names him as patron because this humble priest,assigned to the backwaters of southeastern,post revolutionary France,reveals things perennial about the priesthood and priestly ministry. The pioneering Pope Blessed John XXIII even wrote an encyclical letter on St. John Vianney recommending him as a model for diocesan priests to follow. The new generation of American priests is not discovering St. John Vianney because it simply has nostalgia for what is old,rather because it has a hunger for what perdures. This article is the fruit of this search and the summary of a discussion I had with a group of transitional deacons on the cusp of ordination. By the time this article is published,these men will already be priestsYou can read the entire Courageous Priest article here
