By Jack Martin, Special to The Message
Home parish: St. Philip the Apostle Parish, Posey County
Education: Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary, Indianapolis; Class of 2031
Saint: St. John Vianney
Editor’s note: This year, Diocesan seminarians focused their annual seminarian profiles on a saint or someone on the road to sainthood who gives them hope in honor of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
St. John Vianney was born in May 1786. He was ordained in 1815 after going through many challenges in the political and social environments of that time. He was sent to the small town of Ars, where he would spend his entire priesthood ministering to his people. When he first arrived, the town was the true definition of lukewarm, but through his example, his intense prayer and his love for the Sacrament of Confession, he completely transformed the small town of Ars into a powerhouse of holiness.
The life of St. John Vianney gives me hope for the future. His life was full of perseverance and patience in suffering and in his ministry. He is an example of a priest who does not surrender to the evil he faces, which includes being tormented by the devil in his room, and carries on with the work that was entrusted to him as a shepherd. Through his ministry, he proves that the work of saving souls is possible and that hope can be kindled in the souls of all people.
If you ever need to find hope in challenging times, look to St. John Vianney. Ask for his intersession. Learn from his life and his perseverance in trying times. No road to holiness is easy. One must learn to fight and to continue, with the help of God’s grace, to walk the road to everlasting happiness. You will fail at times, but be patient with yourself and know that the saints and angels are there to protect and to guide you.
Holiness and salvation are possible. In the words of St. John Vianney, “The saints did not all begin well, but they all ended well.”