From 19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010, the Catholic Church celebrates her priests. Pope Benedict XVI called for a "Year of the Priest" that will conclude with a World Meeting of Priests in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. The Year is in the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney, known as the "Saint Curé of Ars".

The Pope made this announcement on the 16th of March 2009, during the plenary assembly of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy. In his address, Pope Benedict said he was calling for the special year for priests in an effort to foster the priest's yearning "for spiritual perfection, upon which the effectiveness of their ministry principally depends." The priestly ministry consists of total adherence to the ecclesial tradition of participating "in a spiritually intense new life and a new lifestyle which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus and which the apostles made their own" he added.

The Pope also underlined the "indispensable struggle for moral perfection which must dwell in every authentically priestly heart." "The awareness of the radical social changes over the past decades must stir the best ecclesial energies to look after the formation of priestly candidates". Priests must also be "present, identifiable and recognizable for their judgment of faith, their personal virtues and their attire in the fields of culture and charity which have always been at the heart of the church's mission," Pope Benedict XVI said, adding that, without priestly ministry, there would be no Eucharist, no mission and even no church.





PRAYER FOR THE PRIESTS

Lord Jesus,

- Letter from Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy (3 June 2009)
- Letter from Cardinal Cláudio Cardinal Hummes, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy (27 May 2009)
- Special Indulgence for the Year of the Priesthood (25 April 2009)
- Catholic priests in the world: statistics

During this jubilee year, the pope will proclaim St John Vianney to be patron saint of all the world's priests. At present he is considered the patron saint of parish priests. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of this 19th century saint who represents a "true example of a priest at the service of the flock of Christ," the pope said. St John Vianney is widely known to Catholics as the Curé (parish priest) of Ars who won over the hearts of his villagers in France by visiting with them, teaching them about God and reconciling people to the Lord in the confessional.

On May 31, 1925, Pope Pius XI canonized Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney, and proclaimed him to be the Patron Saint of Parish Priests worldwide. Years later, Pope John XXIII proclaimed him a role model for all priests to emulate. He is often referred to, even in English, as the Curé d’ Ars (the Pastor of Ars). His Feast Day is August 4th.

St. John Vianney was born in 1786 to poor farmers in Dardilly, a small farming village north of Lyons, France. He worked as a shepherd until the age of 18 when he began training for the priesthood. He was a poor student, had difficulty learning Latin, and twice failed the examinations required before ordination. But his love and devotion to Jesus Christ saw him through. He was finally ordained at the age of 29, and was placed under the direction of Father Balley, a holy priest in a neighboring village, for further training. When Father Balley died in 1817, Father Vianney was named the Parish Priest of Ars.

He worked for twenty-five years in his parish. During his time there, he founded an orphanage for girls, and became internationally famous for his priestly and pastoral care. St John was given many spiritual gifts, such as the power of healing and the ability to read the hearts of his penitents. It was this latter gift that caused his fame to spread throughout France, and created large crowds seeking his guidance.

The frail Curé began hearing confessions at one o'clock in the morning, and it has been reported that he spent from 13 to 17 hours a day in the cramped confessional. Saint John Vianney died peacefully on August 4, 1859. When his body was exhumed due to impending beatification, it was found perfectly preserved. Later the Saint’s heart was removed and remains a venerated relic.

The Saint's body is laid in the Chapel of the Reliquary in a new basilica which is attached to the original Parish of Ars Church in Ars, France. A special chapel was erected to receive the miraculouslyincorrupt Heart of the Curé of Ars.

"The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself, he is for you. (...) When people wish to destroy religion, they begin by attacking the priest, because where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion. (...) What joy did the Apostles feel after the Resurrection of Our Lord, at seeing the Master whom they had loved so much! The priest must feel the same joy at seeing Our Lord whom he holds in his hands. Great value is attached to objects which have been laid in the drinking cup of the Blessed Virgin and of the Child Jesus, at Loreto. But the fingers of the priest, that have touched the adorable Flesh of Jesus Christ, that have been plunged into the chalice which contained His Blood, into the pyx where His Body has lain, are they not still more precious? The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus. When you see the priest, think of Our Lord Jesus Christ." (Curé of Ars in Catechism on the Priesthood)

More information on the Year of the Priest will be soon available on www.annussacerdotalis.org

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