St. John Mary Vianney

St. John Mary Vianney was born in the Lyons area of France in May 1786. As a child, he taught other children prayers and catechism. He was ordained in 1815 and sent to the parish of Ars in 1818. He visited his parishioners, most especially the sick and the poor, and he spent a lot of time in prayer. His preaching attracted large crowds, and he attracted 20,000 pilgrims by 1855. He was a parish priest for 40 years. He died in 1859. St. John Mary Vianney is patron saint of confessors and priests.