Anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, Cure of Ars

It's the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney. He was born near Lyons France in 1786 and died August 4, 1859.

He found the academic studies at the seminary to be very difficult. With the help of friends and his own hard work, he eventually became a priest.

As a parish priest, he became known as a wonderful confessor. People began to come to him from neighboring parishes, from across the country of France, and soon from around the world. He heard confessions for as long as 18 hours a day during the last decade of his life.

As part of the Year for Priests, Pope Benedict XVI has declared St. John Vianney the Universal Patron for all priests.