John Vianney

Saint John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, is the patron saint of parish priests. Born in France in 1786, he struggled with his studies but was eventually ordained. Assigned to the tiny village of Ars, he transformed it through his holiness, powerful preaching, and extraordinary gift in the confessional. Pilgrims traveled from all over France to confess to him, and he spent up to sixteen hours a day hearing confessions.