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St. John Vianney did not do well in his studies for the priesthood, not because he lacked intelligence - which is the popular belief - but because he lacked formal education in his early childhood. It is true, though, he was approved for ordination to the priesthood despite his poor academic performance because of his obvious holiness. For this, he was sent to a small, insignificant village, where the vast majority of the town folks were more interested in drinking, wife swapping, gambling, and the like, than worshiping God. Twenty years after the great saint�s arrival in Ars, every lapsed parishioner had been converted from his or her wayward life to full participation in the church.
Of the many things I saw over fifteen year period traveling from parish to parish across the country giving missions was what a huge difference a good, holy, intelligent, and totally dedicated pastor makes. Like the great saint we remember today, an effective priest can in time turn a whole parish around. Thus we should be more concerned about the eroding effectiveness of our priests than about the shortage of priests. Recently, I overheard a priest in our diocese say he feels guilty about retiring because we lack priests who are qualified to be pastors. Can you imagine that?
Lowering the standard for admissions to the seminary and stealing priests from poor third world counties is not the solution to our serious vocation crises. The solution is optional celibacy for secular priests. If this is not done ASP, the 40 year drain of our best leaving to get married will continue,(since 1960 world-wide over 100,000 men have left the priesthood) and we will need to keep lowering the standard for ordination, and taking in priests from strange, far way cultures - until they run dry like Ireland has.
St.John Vianney had remarkable gifts. He could tell if a soul was in heaven or purgatory. If one failed to confess a serious sin he could point this out. In time, not only were the town folks flocking to the saint, but Catholics from all over France. In fact, so many people were traveling to Ars that a special spur had to be built. The saint spent 18 hours a day in his confessional ministering to these people, yet it took days to see him.
One troubled woman, worried about the soul of her atheistic husband who had committed suicide by jumbling off a bridge, traveled from Paris to see the saint. After waiting a few days to see him, she gave up and began to walk out of the church. Immediately, the saints burst out of his confessional and shouted, �Your husband is in purgatory.� She turned around and asked, �How?� The saints replied, �Between the time your husband jumped off the bridge and reached the water Christ appeared to him, offered him salvation, and your husband accepted.� The woman asked, �Why?� The saint said, �Because once when you were reciting the rosary he silently said one Hail Mary.�
Who knows if the story is true or not. I choose to believe it is. I also choose to believe what the story teaches, that God wants us to be saved far more than any one of us - saint or sinner - wants to be saved. He looks for just very slightest indication from us that we accept his love and uses it as if we had dedicated our entire life to Him. Praise God!