John Marie Vianney

"S. Joannis Mariae Vianney Confessoris" refers to Saint John Marie Vianney, who is also known as the curé of Ars⁵. He was canonized in 1925 and declared the heavenly patron for all parish priests in 1929. The term "Confessoris" is a Latin term used in the Catholic Church to denote a saint who confessed the faith by living a holy life.

The phrase you provided is often seen in the context of the Traditional Latin Mass, such as the "Missa 'Os justi'"³⁴. This Mass is often celebrated on the feast day of Saint John Marie Vianney. The saint was known for his piety and dedication to his parishioners, often spending up to 12 hours a day hearing confessions⁵. His life and works continue to inspire many people around the world.

John Mary Vianney was born in the Village of Dardilly in the diocese of Lyons, and gave many indications of his future sanctity.

As an eight year old boy, keeping sheep, he would lead the other children to kneel before the image of the Mother of God, teaching them the rosary by word and example: and he loved to work in the fields and meditate on divine things.

He was a great lover of the poor and took delight in helping them in every way.

He was slow to learn, but after imploring God's help, and working hard to complete his course in theology, he was judged fit to be ordained. Receiving an appointment as pastor he made spiritual flowers bloom again in a parish that had been nothing but a dried up wasteland.

Busy every day hearing confessions and giving spiritual counsel, he bore patiently the most horrible attacks of Satan. He established a practice of making missions in more than a hundred parishes. The faithful came flocking to his parish, even from distant places in a holy desire to see him; but he did not share their high opinion of him, and more than once he tried to slip away.

Saint John Marie Vianney, also known as the Curé d'Ars, was born on May 8, 1786, in Dardilly, France. He is renowned for his deep faith, quiet nature, and patience. Despite struggling with learning Latin, which was crucial for his religious training, he had a strong desire to become a priest.

During the French Revolution, Vianney was deeply moved by the heroism of the priests and nuns who risked their lives for their faith. His studies were interrupted when he was drafted into Napoleon's armies in 1809. He was separated from his draft group and ended up in a rural village with a number of army deserters, where he was forced to hide until the decree of amnesty for all deserters in 1810.

He was ordained in 1815 and was made assistant priest at Écully, France. In 1818, he became the priest of the small village of Ars. He transformed Ars into a model parish, and reports of his holiness and his supernatural powers soon spread. He was known for his devotion to the Virgin Mary and to St. Philomena and was dedicated to the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) for his parishioners.

From 1824, he suffered attacks that he believed were caused by the Devil, who allegedly on one occasion set fire to Vianney’s bed. By 1827, Ars had become a pilgrimage site, and every year from 1845 until Vianney’s death, about 20,000 persons visited Ars to see Vianney and especially to make their confession to him. He spent as many as 12 or 15 hours daily in his confessional.

Worn out by his labors rather than his old age, he rested in the Lord at the age of seventy-three, on the day he had foretold, August 4, 1859. Famous for many miracles, he was enrolled among the Blessed by Pius X, and among the Saints by Pius XI, who on the fiftieth anniversary of his own priesthood, appointed him the heavenly patron of all parish priests.

Vianney died on August 4, 1859 and canonized on May 31, 1925, by Pope Pius XI. His feast day is celebrated on August 4. He is the patron saint of parish priests. His life and works continue to inspire many people around the world.

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(2) Old Romans | S. Joannis Mariæ Vianney Confessoris: Missa "Os justi". https://www.facebook.com/groups/OldRomans/posts/664269492252261/.

(3) S. Joannis Mariæ Vianney Confessoris... - Daily Mass Online - Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/dailymasspage/posts/s-joannis-mari%C3%A6-vianney-confessoris-missa-os-justithe-traditional-latin-mass-bro/10165290854830167/.

(4) Ad Laudes - S. Joannis Mariæ Vianney Confessoris - IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26408891/parentalguide.

(5) Ordo: Augustus 2024 - Divinum Officium. https://www.divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/horas/kalendar.pl.

(6) Saint John Vianney | Biography & Facts | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Jean-Baptiste-Marie-Vianney.

(7) John Vianney - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Vianney.

(8) Saint John Marie Vianney | uCatholic. https://ucatholic.com/saints/john-marie-vianney/.

(9) Who was Saint John Vianney? - Round Rock, TX. https://sjvroundrock.org/who-was-sjv.