St. John Vianney (1786–1859), the parish priest of the little French village of Ars, spent up to sixteen hours a day hearing confessions and became one of the most beloved priests in the history of the Church. Pilgrims came from all over France to confess to the “Curé of Ars,” and the Church has named him patron of parish priests. Below is his famous act of love, quoted by the Catechism, prayers to St. John Vianney for priests, for a good confession, for vocations and for your parish, Scripture and his story.
St. John Vianney’s act of love
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, teaching that “love is the source of prayer,” quotes the prayer of the Curé of Ars that begins: “I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you” (CCC 2658). The prayer continues by asking for the grace to love God eternally and, if the tongue cannot say it at every moment, to say it with every heartbeat.
Pray it slowly in the morning and before sleep, as an act of love that sums up every other prayer.
A prayer for priests
Written for this page:
St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests,
you gave your days and nights to the souls entrusted to you.
Pray for our priests, especially (name) and the priests of our parish.
Make them holy, humble and full of love for the Eucharist,
patient in the confessional and faithful to the end.
Protect them from discouragement and every danger,
and send us many more priests after the heart of Jesus. Amen.
See also the prayer for priests.
A prayer before confession
St. John Vianney, you welcomed every sinner with the mercy of Christ.
Help me to examine my conscience honestly,
to be truly sorry for my sins,
to confess them humbly and to trust in God’s forgiveness. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See how to go to confession and the examination of conscience.
A prayer for vocations
St. John Vianney, you struggled with your studies,
but God made you a priest for the salvation of many souls.
Pray for young men who are discerning a call to the priesthood.
Give them courage, generosity and good guides,
and help our families to encourage them. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See the prayers of the faithful for vocations.
A prayer for our parish
St. John Vianney, you transformed a careless village into a parish of prayer.
Pray for our parish: renew our love for the Mass and confession,
make us generous to the poor and welcoming to all,
and make our church a place where souls meet God. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
The priest in the eyes of the Curé of Ars
St. John Vianney had an exalted view of the priesthood, not of himself. “The priest continues the work of redemption on earth,” he said, and “the Priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus” (quoted in CCC 1589). Jesus’ words describe the kind of priest he tried to be:
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.
The life of St. John Vianney
Jean-Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in Dardilly, near Lyon, to a family of farmers. He grew up during the French Revolution, when priests who stayed faithful to Rome were hunted, and he made his First Communion in secret. He longed to be a priest, but his schooling had been interrupted and he found Latin terribly hard. Only the patient help of his mentor, Father Charles Balley, and his own prayer and perseverance carried him through. He was ordained in 1815.
In 1818 he was sent to Ars, a village of a little more than two hundred people near Lyon, where religious practice had grown cold. Through prayer, penance, simple preaching and countless hours in the confessional, he transformed the parish. His reputation spread, and by the end of his life tens of thousands of pilgrims came to Ars each year to confess to him. He lived on very little, gave away everything he had, founded a home for orphan girls, and endured years of mysterious harassment that he attributed to the devil. Several times he tried to leave Ars to live as a monk, but each time he returned.
He died at Ars on August 4, 1859, worn out by his work. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 31, 1925, and named patron of parish priests in 1929. In 2009, on the 150th anniversary of his death, Pope Benedict XVI opened a Year for Priests under his patronage.
Feast day and patronage
- Feast day: August 4. A novena can run from July 26 to August 3.
- Patron of: parish priests and all priests, confessors, and the Diocese of Belley-Ars.
- Symbols: a priest’s cassock and surplice, a stole, and the confessional.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of priests?
St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, patron of parish priests since 1929.
Why is St. John Vianney famous?
For his holiness as a parish priest, and especially for spending up to sixteen hours a day hearing confessions.
When is St. John Vianney’s feast day?
August 4, the day he died in 1859.
What does “Curé of Ars” mean?
“Curé” is French for parish priest. Ars is the village in eastern France where he served for forty-one years.
More prayers
- Prayer for vocations
- Prayer for priests
- How to go to confession
- Act of contrition
- St. Joseph of Cupertino prayer
- Prayers to popular saints
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1589 and 2658, quoting St. John Vianney.
- Scripture: John 10:11, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The other prayers were written for this page.