Another Prayer Request: This time for the Holy Father

The Holy Father this morning, while on vacation, fractured his right Wrist in Valle d'Aosta in northen Italy.

The Holy Father celebrated Mass and ate Breakfast before heading to Hospital.

The Holy Father reportedly waited in line and wished for no special treatment as he waited for X-raysand the operating room.

The picture here is of the Pope leaving Hospital. Notice the cast on his right Wrist. He will wear it for about a month (you can clickon the image for a larger picture).

He may have waited to be treated, but today Pope Benedict should be first in our prayers.

Prayer request

Would you all in charity pray for one of the faithful who goes to the Latin Mass at San Juan Bautista who is about to lose a member of their family. Thank you very much for your prayers for this family.

Many thanks from Father Milich

Father Milich would like to thank publicly those who in the past several weeks have assisted him in repairing his car. To the Walbeck Family, for their kindness. To Mr. James Lawrence who repaired Father's car. Finally, Father wishes to thank someone, someone who wished to remain anonymous, who paid for the parts that were needed for the repair.

Thank you all again, and you are in Father's prayers and intentions.

FAQ: Why does Father wear a hat at Mass? Why does he take it off?

Q: Why does Father wear a hat up to the Altar? I notice that he takes it off. Why does he do that? how deos he know when to take it off?

A: The hat that Father wears is called a Biretta. The word is Italian in origin, and comes from the Latin word, Birrus, a rough cloak hood or covering. The biretta is extra-curricular wear designating the ordained clergy (traditionally from the subdiaconate on). It is taken off for bows and reverences and genuflections even outside the nave of the Church. Because the Asperges rite is so closely connected with Sunday Mass and because blessings are involved, the biretta is removed. During the Gloria and the Credo, if the priest withdraws to the side (traditionally to the choir with the other clergy) he joins them in this parenthesis to his role as celebrant (and alter Christus, whose head is not covered).The priest has already recited the Gloria and the Credo before sitting down. In some places, the priest wears the biretta during the sermon as well, but removes the maniple or even the chasuble to indicate that this, too, is a parenthesis and not an essential part of the liturgy. The biretta is put on once again at the end of the divine liturgy for the procession from the church. Although not in se a part of the Mass, it is a liturgical occasion and so there is a holy order that is retained in the procession. All the ordained clergy wear their birettas still until they return to the sacristy.

So, the Biretta is a symbol of authority, derived from the cap that Teachers would wear, and now only do so at times like graduations. Incidentally, the Latin word for teachers is Doctores.

Priests exercise an office of governance, sanctification, and teaching. The Priest at the Altar is a Priest, an Alter Christus. Away from the Altar, he teaches.

Who in the world is visiting this site?

Just who is visiting this site from these places:

Peace River, Alberta, Canada;

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;

Balzan, Malta;

Citta del Vaticano

Who ever you are, thanks for visiting!

The Schola of San Juan Bautista and training at Colloquium 2009

Last month, three members of the Schola of San Juan Bautista went to a training for those who Chant the Mass or are interested in the wider use of Gregorian Chant. The training was at an event called the Colloquium, put on by the Church Music Association of America.

Here are some of the images they took while at the Colloquium.



The Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal George, processes in for Mass.

The Cardinal and his Ministers process in.

A view of the Chapel on the campus of Loyola University.

After Mass, the Cardinal greets the attendees. The priest he is greeting is actually from Newark, in the Bay Area.

Our three participants from San Juan Bautista! Wendy and Greg Plese, and June Ely.

The extended Plese family.

Entrance to the Chapel.

The Ave Maria engraved above the entrance.

Near Chicago at the Lincoln National Cemetery, the Father of our Schola Master is buried.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,et lux perpetua luceat eis.

A wider view of the National Cemetery.

Some of the Jesuit Saints that adorn the Chapel of Loyola (Loyola is a Jesuit Institution).

The brand new Organ of the Chapel.

Early morning in the Chapel, around 6 AM.

The campus of the University is right on the shores of Lake Michigan. Again, this is around 6 AM.

Exterior of the Chapel.

Wide angle of the Interior.

There is a parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago that has both Forms of the Roman Rite, St. John Cantius. It is a well known church in the United States for their attention and love of the Liturgy, and for teaching Chant and how to say the Ancient Mass through workshops there. here are three of the Canons of St. John Cantius preparing for Mass.

Another Mass in the Chapel, this time in the Extraordinary Form.

Attendees chanting various parts of the Mass.

There were quite a few workshops that attendees could choose from, from Chironomy (hand movements that indicate rhythm), to advanced Chant, to Polyphony.

Here are some of the comments by our attendees.

1. Learning and singing beautiful Sacred Music with large groups that can sing chant and polyphony we may never be able to.

2. Participating in and observing Liturgies that I would never have the chance to otherwise.

3. The amazing camaraderie of so many other people who feel similarly about Sacred Music.

4. Living, eating, and working with other Catholics who feel passionate about their Faith.

And...

It was such an exciting week - I had the privilege of (assisting at) the Liturgy and singing with some of the finest, most dedicated sacred music musicians in the United States and beyond. To attend Mass with 250 other musicians, singing some of the most beautiful chant and polyphony Our Church has produced, produced for the Ancient Mass in particular, has left me inspired to work harder to do my very best for our own Mass at the Mission. Evangelization through music, neum by neum, rebuilding the Musical Tradition of Holy Mother Church.

Neums are the little marks one sees in Gregorian Chant.

Overall, the attendees brought much back with them, and have started to share it with the Mission at large.

The Schola does not just sing AT Holy Mass, but they CHANT Holy Mass. The Faithful should also chant certain parts themselves as well, as that brings us more into the Mass. We should be able to chant the Kyrie, the Gloria, and the Credo. It is all for the greater glory of God.

Asperges Me from the 5th Sunday after Pentecost

Below is the Asperges Me from Holy Mass this past Sunday at San Juan Bautista. It is a modern piece written by Horst Buchholz. Horst Buchholz is Director of Sacred Music and Principal Organist at Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. He also serves as Professor of Church Music at the Saint John Vianney Seminary in the Archdiocese of Denver.




To see more videos of various chants and Propers that the Schola of San Juan Bautista has done, go to their YouTube site by visiting their page here.

FAQ: What is Father doing?

Q: Right after Father reads the Gospel in Latin, but before he comes to the Ambo to do the readings in English and for his Sermon, he does something at the Altar, but I can't tell what. What is it that he is doing?

What Father (or any Priest who offers the Traditional Latin Mass) is doing is removing his Maniple from the Left arm, and placing it on the Missal. The Missal is then moved with the Maniple by the Master of Ceremonies closer to the center of the Altar for the Mass of the Faithful, the Consecration.

The Maniple is prescribed by the Roman Missal to be worn by the Priest when he is at the Altar performing the actions that are to be done there. It is a small band of cloth about 1 yard long by 4 inches and is held in place with ribbons or elastic. It comes from a Latin word, Manipulus, and was a cloth worn on the left arm by the Romans which carried a small bundle. A Praetor, a leader of an Army or a Magistrate with various duties depending on the time period, would have worn something similar to indicate the start of an event, usually by waving it from the left arm.

In the Traditions of the Church, it would have been only those clerics who were Sub-deacons, Deacons, Priests and Bishops who would have the privilege of wearing the Maniple. They may have originally been worn to wipe away presperation. There is evidence from ancient mosaics that Maniples have been worn from the earliest days of the Church, and from those times it acquired the additional meaning and symbolism of representing Christ's chains and how he bore the cares and sorrows of this world.

A Sermon is technically not a part of the Mass. It is a break in the Liturgical action that is happening at the Altar. To show that this is the case and that the Sermon is not a part of the Mass, the Priest will remove his Maniple and lay it on the Missal before he preaches. In some areas and in some religious Orders such as the Institute of Christ the King, the Chausable is removed as well and laid upon the Altar. Both of these actions are proper, but depend on local custom.

If you have any questions regarding the Traditional Latin Mass, do not hesitate to write to monterey.tlm@gmail.com with your question. Although we have been slow, we will attempt to answer your questions as soon as possible. More of these FAQ's will appear in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you Holy Father!

In speaking with somebody yesterday, this person mentioned how they were at their computer awaiting the the publishing of the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum. When it was finally published in the major languages, it was posted on the Vatican website, and as it was being read, this person, and many others were just ecstatic about what was being read. A priest was free to use either of the Missals available, and many of the Faithful now had the opportunity to hear the ancient Mass.

We should be grateful to Father Milich for saying Mass for us at the Mission and at Sacred Heart, Salinas. We should be grateful to Frs. Fitz-Henry, Abegg, and Miller for hosting the Latin Mass at their parishes. Finally, we should be grateful to His Excellency Bishop Garcia for supporting the Latin Mass Faithful, and for addressing the Latin Mass Conference and giving his Episcopal Blessing.

We should also be grateful to our ancestors who have passed on the Faith to us, unworthy that we are. It is through their sacrifices we are able to give glory to God in the manner we are able to. As has been noted to us, we should be Missionaries of the Holy Faith, and to show people this Mass, the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven.

If possible, read the Te Deum below, the hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Te Deum laudamus:

te Dominum confitemur.

Te aeternum Patremomnis terra veneratur.

Tibi omnes Angeli;

tibi caeli et universae Potestates;

Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim

incessabili voce proclamant:

Sanctus,

Sanctus,

Sanctus,

Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,

Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,

Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.

Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,

Patrem immensae maiestatis:

Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;

Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,non horruisti Virginis uterum.

Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti

credentibus regna caelorum.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.

Iudex crederis esse venturus.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:

quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

Salvum fac populum tuum,Domine,

et benedic hereditati tuae.

Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.

Per singulos dies benedicimus te;

Et laudamus Nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.

Miserere nostri domine, miserere nostri.

Fiat misericordia tua,

Domine, super nos,

quemadmodum speravimus in te.

In te, Domine, speravi:

non confundar in aeternum.

Amen.

Gas available again in San Juan Bautista

There is another Gas Station again in San Juan Bautista. A Valero filling Station is having its Grand Opening at the corner of Monterey and Muckelemi Streets. Although closed at the time this picture was taken last night at around 2130 hrs., it should be open during normal business hours. It is over on the far west side of town, and is on the way out to the Peninsula and Salinas.

Where (have you gone / will you be going) this Summer?

Father Milich blessing travelers on their journeys.

The time has come for Summer vacation for most people, and even for some people to head off for new assignments in their jobs or careers. Father Milich never wants to have people just go without the comfort and fortification that a Priestly blessing confers. After Mass, he is happy to bless people who are on their way to vacation or visiting relatives, or moving on to new assignments.

Some of the people who have moved away this year have gone on to such places as Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico; Charleston, South Carolina; and Biloxi, Mississippi.

Vacation plans for some of the Faithful of San Juan Bautista have or will include: New Mexico; Southern Utah; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Texas; Camping in Yosemite National Park; Camping in Bishop, CA; Los Angeles, and Mexico.

What are your travel plans for the summer?

SJB Mission Fiesta: 21, June 2009

Sorry for the lateness, but here are some images of the Mass and the Parish Fiesta at San Juan Bautista on the 21st of June.

Mass today was a Missa Recitata, a Low Mass as some of the members of the Schola were away at a workshop (More on that in a subsequent post).

Father processes in with his three servers unto the Altar of God.

BEER!

The shocking truth about Tobey Maguire is finally revealed. How would tiny little hairs on his hands allow him to climb up walls?

The dancing looked really fun!

Some of the Faithful who attend the 2PM Mass enjoying themselves.

The bean bag toss, obviously rigged by people from the country to our North. Canada: Threat or Foe? We report, you decide!

Our pastor, Father Edward Fitz-Henry and our Chaplain for the Latin Mass, Father Nicholas Milich. Ad multos annos.

Happy 4th of July!

The Immaculate Conception

Bartolome Esteban Perez Murillo

Over at Father Z's site, he has Bishop Carroll's prayer for government. It was composed in 1791, and is as applicable now as then.

Bishop Carroll's prayer for government.

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name. We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope N. , the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, N., all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation. We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty. We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state , for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

First Saturday Pro-Life Vigil this 4th of July

Please join us for a pro-Life Vigil in front of Planned Parenthood this First Saturday the Fourth of July.

Salinas Planned Parenthood
316 North Main St. (for map, click here)
Salinas, CA 93906
July 4th 2009 at 8:15 AM

We also pray every Tuesday at this same location at 2:30 PM.


For more information, contact Sandee at helpersofsalinas@yahoo.com

Happy Canada Day!

North American Martyrs

Many people attend the Latin Mass at San Juan Bautista, and come from all sorts of backgrounds. One group in particular are those who come from the beautiful land up north, the Dominion of Canada. Today is Canada Day for Canadians, celebrating the Confederation of the Country in 1867.

May the patrons of Canada, SS. Isaac Jogues, Anne, George, Jean de Brebeuf, Joseph, Mary of the Hurons, Our Lady of the Cape, and the Jesuit Martyrs of North America ever watch and intercede for her.

Omnes Sancti Canadensis, Orate pro nobis.

Feast of St. Peter and Paul at Sacred Heart, Salinas

Yesterday was the 7th anniversary of Father Milich's first Mass, which he said at the Cathedral of Yakima, Washington. Happily, this Cathedral is named St. Paul. St. Paul was the Confirmation name chosen by Fr. Milich.

Here are some images of the Mass Fr. Milich said at Sacred Heart, Salinas (Mass takes place here every Monday at 2 PM).

We had a small Schola from San Juan Bautista do the Rossini propers for a High Mass, probably the first at Sacred Heart, Salinas in about 40 years.

Fathers' Sermon on this Feast of the Church.

People congratulating Father afterwards.

Some of the Faithful after Mass with Father Milich.

Congratulations to Father Milich on the 7th anniversary of his ordination and First Mass.

May you say every Mass like it is your First Mass.
Your last Mass.

Your only Mass.

Ad multos annos, Pater reverende.

Happy Anniversary to Fr. Milich!

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Nicholas Milich to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Today, on the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul is the day that Father Milich said his first Mass ever. Next time you see him, congratulate him on this momentous occasion.

Father Milich will be saying Mass today at Sacred Heart Salinas for the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul at 2 PM.

May you say every Mass like it is your First Mass.
Your last Mass.
your only Mass.

Ad multos annos, Pater reverende.

Wish a Happy Birthday to Father Miller of Salinas!

OOPS!: This post was to have been published on Thursday the 25th, but somehow did not due to some error on my part. My apologies to Father Miller for the oversight.

Those who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass have been welcomed to Sacred Heart, Salinas by Father Michael Miller every Monday at 2 PM. Tomorrow on the 26th of June, Father Miller celebrates his birthday.

Father miller is originally from the great state of Indiana, but we are blessed to have had him here in the Diocese of Monterey for 37 years.

In charity, pray for Father Miller for his health, and that he serve the flock of the Diocese of Monterey for many more years to come. Pray also that he be spiritually perfected during this Year of the Priest.

Ad multos annos!

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to all Fathers and Priests today.

Sancte Ioseph, ora pro nobis.

Inauguration of the Year For Priests

The Holy Father inaugurated the Year For Priests with Vespers of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday at the Vatican.

These are also the ending days of the Year of St. Paul.

Fr. Fitz-Henry and the De Anza Trail

Earlier today, Fr. Fitz-Henry went on the De Anza Trail and said Mass on that same trail. Our Aromas correspondent was there!







Fr. Fitz-Hnery in a Cassock and Capello Romano looks just fantastic!





Hiking on the De Anza Trail.

Holy Mass on the De Anza Trail.



Fr. Fitz-Henry and our Aromas correspondent.

The Year of the Priest has begun

The Year of the Priest begins today with Vespers at the Vatican. Our Spiritual Bouquet is building. Let us keep up our prayers.

First Communion on the External Feast of Corpus Christi, 14 June 2009

There have been various young Catholics who have been preparing for their First Communions at Mission San Juan Bautista. As each child has prepared themselves, they have made their First Communions. There were two First Communions earlier, and this past Sunday on the External Feast of Corpus Christi, another young lady made her First Communion. Here are some images of the day, which also included a procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the Plaza of San Juan Bautista. Those images can be found here.

Before Holy Mass.

The Altar is prepared.

At the start of Mass.

Father and the Master of Ceremonies at the Credo.

Before First Communion.

Prayer after after her First Communon.

Let us pray for all First Communicants this year, that their Faith grow ever stronger with the reception of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

The Traditional Latin Mass at San Juan Bautista

The Traditional Latin Mass at Mission San Juan Bautista
Missa Cantatas Sundays at 2:00 PM
On June 21st, Mass will be a Missa Recitata, Low Mass due to the Parish Fiesta.

On June 28th, 2009, the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, it will have been one year that the Latin Mass Community has been at San Juan Bautista. We will have a Potluck picnic right after Holy Mass.

Letter of the Holy Father for the Year of the Priest

Dear Brother Priests,

On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy –, I have decided to inaugurate a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the “dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide.1 This Year, meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world, will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010. The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”, the saintly Curé of Ars would often say.2 This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as “friends of Christ”, whom he has called by name, chosen and sent?

I still treasure the memory of the first parish priest at whose side I exercised my ministry as a young priest: he left me an example of unreserved devotion to his pastoral duties, even to meeting death in the act of bringing viaticum to a gravely ill person. I also recall the countless confreres whom I have met and continue to meet, not least in my pastoral visits to different countries: men generously dedicated to the daily exercise of their priestly ministry. Yet the expression of Saint John Mary also makes us think of Christ’s pierced Heart and the crown of thorns which surrounds it. I am also led to think, therefore, of the countless situations of suffering endured by many priests, either because they themselves share in the manifold human experience of pain or because they encounter misunderstanding from the very persons to whom they minister. How can we not also think of all those priests who are offended in their dignity, obstructed in their mission and persecuted, even at times to offering the supreme testimony of their own blood?

There are also, sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored where the Church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers. Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection. What is most helpful to the Church in such cases is not only a frank and complete acknowledgment of the weaknesses of her ministers, but also a joyful and renewed realization of the greatness of God’s gift, embodied in the splendid example of generous pastors, religious afire with love for God and for souls, and insightful, patient spiritual guides. Here the teaching and example of Saint John Mary Vianney can serve as a significant point of reference for us all. The Curé of Ars was quite humble, yet as a priest he was conscious of being an immense gift to his people: “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy”.3 He spoke of the priesthood as if incapable of fathoming the grandeur of the gift and task entrusted to a human creature: “O, how great is the priest! … If he realized what he is, he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host…”.4 Explaining to his parishioners the importance of the sacraments, he would say: “Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest… After God, the priest is everything! … Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is”.5 These words, welling up from the priestly heart of the holy pastor, might sound excessive. Yet they reveal the high esteem in which he held the sacrament of the priesthood. He seemed overwhelmed by a boundless sense of responsibility: “Were we to fully realize what a priest is on earth, we would die: not of fright, but of love… Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption on earth… What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door? The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of his goods … Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest, and they will end by worshiping the beasts there … The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you”.6

He arrived in Ars, a village of 230 souls, warned by his Bishop beforehand that there he would find religious practice in a sorry state: “There is little love of God in that parish; you will be the one to put it there”. As a result, he was deeply aware that he needed to go there to embody Christ’s presence and to bear witness to his saving mercy: “[Lord,] grant me the conversion of my parish; I am willing to suffer whatever you wish, for my entire life!”: with this prayer he entered upon his mission.7 The Curé devoted himself completely to his parish’s conversion, setting before all else the Christian education of the people in his care. Dear brother priests, let us ask the Lord Jesus for the grace to learn for ourselves something of the pastoral plan of Saint John Mary Vianney! The first thing we need to learn is the complete identification of the man with his ministry. In Jesus, person and mission tend to coincide: all Christ’s saving activity was, and is, an expression of his “filial consciousness” which from all eternity stands before the Father in an attitude of loving submission to his will. In a humble yet genuine way, every priest must aim for a similar identification. Certainly this is not to forget that the efficacy of the ministry is independent of the holiness of the minister; but neither can we overlook the extraordinary fruitfulness of the encounter between the ministry’s objective holiness and the subjective holiness of the minister. The Curé of Ars immediately set about this patient and humble task of harmonizing his life as a minister with the holiness of the ministry he had received, by deciding to “live”, physically, in his parish church: As his first biographer tells us: “Upon his arrival, he chose the church as his home. He entered the church before dawn and did not leave it until after the evening Angelus. There he was to be sought whenever needed”.8

The pious excess of his devout biographer should not blind us to the fact that the Curé also knew how to “live” actively within the entire territory of his parish: he regularly visited the sick and families, organized popular missions and patronal feasts, collected and managed funds for his charitable and missionary works, embellished and furnished his parish church, cared for the orphans and teachers of the “Providence” (an institute he founded); provided for the education of children; founded confraternities and enlisted lay persons to work at his side.

His example naturally leads me to point out that there are sectors of cooperation which need to be opened ever more fully to the lay faithful. Priests and laity together make up the one priestly people9 and in virtue of their ministry priests live in the midst of the lay faithful, “that they may lead everyone to the unity of charity, ‘loving one another with mutual affection; and outdoing one another in sharing honour’” (Rom 12:10).10 Here we ought to recall the Second Vatican Council’s hearty encouragement to priests “to be sincere in their appreciation and promotion of the dignity of the laity and of the special role they have to play in the Church’s mission. … They should be willing to listen to lay people, give brotherly consideration to their wishes, and acknowledge their experience and competence in the different fields of human activity. In this way they will be able together with them to discern the signs of the times”.11

Saint John Mary Vianney taught his parishioners primarily by the witness of his life. It was from his example that they learned to pray, halting frequently before the tabernacle for a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.12 “One need not say much to pray well” – the Curé explained to them – “We know that Jesus is there in the tabernacle: let us open our hearts to him, let us rejoice in his sacred presence. That is the best prayer”.13 And he would urge them: “Come to communion, my brothers and sisters, come to Jesus. Come to live from him in order to live with him…14 “Of course you are not worthy of him, but you need him!”.15 This way of educating the faithful to the Eucharistic presence and to communion proved most effective when they saw him celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Those present said that “it was not possible to find a finer example of worship… He gazed upon the Host with immense love”.16 “All good works, taken together, do not equal the sacrifice of the Mass” – he would say – “since they are human works, while the Holy Mass is the work of God”.17 He was convinced that the fervour of a priest’s life depended entirely upon the Mass: “The reason why a priest is lax is that he does not pay attention to the Mass! My God, how we ought to pity a priest who celebrates as if he were engaged in something routine!”.18 He was accustomed, when celebrating, also to offer his own life in sacrifice: “What a good thing it is for a priest each morning to offer himself to God in sacrifice!”.19

This deep personal identification with the Sacrifice of the Cross led him – by a sole inward movement – from the altar to the confessional. Priests ought never to be resigned to empty confessionals or the apparent indifference of the faithful to this sacrament. In France, at the time of the Curé of Ars, confession was no more easy or frequent than in our own day, since the upheaval caused by the revolution had long inhibited the practice of religion. Yet he sought in every way, by his preaching and his powers of persuasion, to help his parishioners to rediscover the meaning and beauty of the sacrament of Penance, presenting it as an inherent demand of the Eucharistic presence. He thus created a “virtuous” circle. By spending long hours in church before the tabernacle, he inspired the faithful to imitate him by coming to visit Jesus with the knowledge that their parish priest would be there, ready to listen and offer forgiveness. Later, the growing numbers of penitents from all over France would keep him in the confessional for up to sixteen hours a day. It was said that Ars had become “a great hospital of souls”.20 His first biographer relates that “the grace he obtained [for the conversion of sinners] was so powerful that it would pursue them, not leaving them a moment of peace!”.21 The saintly Curé reflected something of the same idea when he said: “It is not the sinner who returns to God to beg his forgiveness, but God himself who runs after the sinner and makes him return to him”.22 “This good Saviour is so filled with love that he seeks us everywhere”.23

We priests should feel that the following words, which he put on the lips of Christ, are meant for each of us personally: “I will charge my ministers to proclaim to sinners that I am ever ready to welcome them, that my mercy is infinite”.24 From Saint John Mary Vianney we can learn to put our unfailing trust in the sacrament of Penance, to set it once more at the centre of our pastoral concerns, and to take up the “dialogue of salvation” which it entails. The Curé of Ars dealt with different penitents in different ways. Those who came to his confessional drawn by a deep and humble longing for God’s forgiveness found in him the encouragement to plunge into the “flood of divine mercy” which sweeps everything away by its vehemence. If someone was troubled by the thought of his own frailty and inconstancy, and fearful of sinning again, the Curé would unveil the mystery of God’s love in these beautiful and touching words: “The good Lord knows everything. Even before you confess, he already knows that you will sin again, yet he still forgives you. How great is the love of our God: he even forces himself to forget the future, so that he can grant us his forgiveness!”.25 But to those who made a lukewarm and rather indifferent confession of sin, he clearly demonstrated by his own tears of pain how “abominable” this attitude was: “I weep because you don’t weep”,26 he would say. “If only the Lord were not so good! But he is so good! One would have to be a brute to treat so good a Father this way!”.27 He awakened repentance in the hearts of the lukewarm by forcing them to see God’s own pain at their sins reflected in the face of the priest who was their confessor. To those who, on the other hand, came to him already desirous of and suited to a deeper spiritual life, he flung open the abyss of God’s love, explaining the untold beauty of living in union with him and dwelling in his presence: “Everything in God’s sight, everything with God, everything to please God… How beautiful it is!”.28 And he taught them to pray: “My God, grant me the grace to love you as much as I possibly can”.29

In his time the Curé of Ars was able to transform the hearts and the lives of so many people because he enabled them to experience the Lord’s merciful love. Our own time urgently needs a similar proclamation and witness to the truth of Love: Deus caritas est (1 Jn: 4:8). Thanks to the word and the sacraments of Jesus, John Mary Vianney built up his flock, although he often trembled from a conviction of his personal inadequacy, and desired more than once to withdraw from the responsibilities of the parish ministry out of a sense of his unworthiness. Nonetheless, with exemplary obedience he never abandoned his post, consumed as he was by apostolic zeal for the salvation of souls. He sought to remain completely faithful to his own vocation and mission through the practice of an austere asceticism: “The great misfortune for us parish priests – he lamented – is that our souls grow tepid”; meaning by this that a pastor can grow dangerously inured to the state of sin or of indifference in which so many of his flock are living.30 He himself kept a tight rein on his body, with vigils and fasts, lest it rebel against his priestly soul. Nor did he avoid self-mortification for the good of the souls in his care and as a help to expiating the many sins he heard in confession. To a priestly confrere he explained: “I will tell you my recipe: I give sinners a small penance and the rest I do in their place”.31 Aside from the actual penances which the Curé of Ars practiced, the core of his teaching remains valid for each of us: souls have been won at the price of Jesus’ own blood, and a priest cannot devote himself to their salvation if he refuses to share personally in the “precious cost” of redemption.

In today’s world, as in the troubled times of the Curé of Ars, the lives and activity of priests need to be distinguished by a forceful witness to the Gospel. As Pope Paul VI rightly noted, “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses”.32 Lest we experience existential emptiness and the effectiveness of our ministry be compromised, we need to ask ourselves ever anew: “Are we truly pervaded by the word of God? Is that word truly the nourishment we live by, even more than bread and the things of this world? Do we really know that word? Do we love it? Are we deeply engaged with this word to the point that it really leaves a mark on our lives and shapes our thinking?”.33 Just as Jesus called the Twelve to be with him (cf. Mk 3:14), and only later sent them forth to preach, so too in our days priests are called to assimilate that “new style of life” which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus and taken up by the Apostles.34

It was complete commitment to this “new style of life” which marked the priestly ministry of the Curé of Ars. Pope John XXIII, in his Encyclical Letter Sacerdotii nostri primordia, published in 1959 on the first centenary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney, presented his asceticism with special reference to the “three evangelical counsels” which the Pope considered necessary also for priests: “even though priests are not bound to embrace these evangelical counsels by virtue of the clerical state, these counsels nonetheless offer them, as they do all the faithful, the surest road to the desired goal of Christian perfection”.35 The Curé of Ars lived the “evangelical counsels” in a way suited to his priestly state. His poverty was not the poverty of a religious or a monk, but that proper to a priest: while managing much money (since well-to-do pilgrims naturally took an interest in his charitable works), he realized that everything had been donated to his church, his poor, his orphans, the girls of his “Providence”,36 his families of modest means. Consequently, he “was rich in giving to others and very poor for himself”.37 As he would explain: “My secret is simple: give everything away; hold nothing back”.38 When he lacked money, he would say aimiably to the poor who knocked at his door: “Today I’m poor just like you, I’m one of you”.39 At the end of his life, he could say with absolute tranquillity: “I no longer have anything. The good Lord can call me whenever he wants!”.40 His chastity, too, was that demanded of a priest for his ministry. It could be said that it was a chastity suited to one who must daily touch the Eucharist, who contemplates it blissfully and with that same bliss offers it to his flock. It was said of him that “he radiated chastity”; the faithful would see this when he turned and gazed at the tabernacle with loving eyes”.41 Finally, Saint John Mary Vianney’s obedience found full embodiment in his conscientious fidelity to the daily demands of his ministry. We know how he was tormented by the thought of his inadequacy for parish ministry and by a desire to flee “in order to bewail his poor life, in solitude”.42 Only obedience and a thirst for souls convinced him to remain at his post. As he explained to himself and his flock: “There are no two good ways of serving God. There is only one: serve him as he desires to be served”.43 He considered this the golden rule for a life of obedience: “Do only what can be offered to the good Lord”.44

In this context of a spirituality nourished by the practice of the evangelical counsels, I would like to invite all priests, during this Year dedicated to them, to welcome the new springtime which the Spirit is now bringing about in the Church, not least through the ecclesial movements and the new communities. “In his gifts the Spirit is multifaceted… He breathes where he wills. He does so unexpectedly, in unexpected places, and in ways previously unheard of… but he also shows us that he works with a view to the one body and in the unity of the one body”.45 In this regard, the statement of the Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis continues to be timely: “While testing the spirits to discover if they be of God, priests must discover with faith, recognize with joy and foster diligently the many and varied charismatic gifts of the laity, whether these be of a humble or more exalted kind”.46 These gifts, which awaken in many people the desire for a deeper spiritual life, can benefit not only the lay faithful but the clergy as well. The communion between ordained and charismatic ministries can provide “a helpful impulse to a renewed commitment by the Church in proclaiming and bearing witness to the Gospel of hope and charity in every corner of the world”.47 I would also like to add, echoing the Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis of Pope John Paul II, that the ordained ministry has a radical “communitarian form” and can be exercised only in the communion of priests with their Bishop.48 This communion between priests and their Bishop, grounded in the sacrament of Holy Orders and made manifest in Eucharistic concelebration, needs to be translated into various concrete expressions of an effective and affective priestly fraternity.49 Only thus will priests be able to live fully the gift of celibacy and build thriving Christian communities in which the miracles which accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel can be repeated.

The Pauline Year now coming to its close invites us also to look to the Apostle of the Gentiles, who represents a splendid example of a priest entirely devoted to his ministry. “The love of Christ urges us on” – he wrote – “because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died” (2 Cor 5:14). And he adds: “He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them” (2 Cor 5:15). Could a finer programme could be proposed to any priest resolved to advance along the path of Christian perfection?

Dear brother priests, the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney (1859) follows upon the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Lourdes (1858). In 1959 Blessed Pope John XXIII noted that “shortly before the Curé of Ars completed his long and admirable life, the Immaculate Virgin appeared in another part of France to an innocent and humble girl, and entrusted to her a message of prayer and penance which continues, even a century later, to yield immense spiritual fruits. The life of this holy priest whose centenary we are commemorating in a real way anticipated the great supernatural truths taught to the seer of Massabielle. He was greatly devoted to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin; in 1836 he had dedicated his parish church to Our Lady Conceived without Sin and he greeted the dogmatic definition of this truth in 1854 with deep faith and great joy.”50 The Curé would always remind his faithful that “after giving us all he could, Jesus Christ wishes in addition to bequeath us his most precious possession, his Blessed Mother”.51
To the Most Holy Virgin I entrust this Year for Priests. I ask her to awaken in the heart of every priest a generous and renewed commitment to the ideal of complete self-oblation to Christ and the Church which inspired the thoughts and actions of the saintly Curé of Ars. It was his fervent prayer life and his impassioned love of Christ Crucified that enabled John Mary Vianney to grow daily in his total self-oblation to God and the Church. May his example lead all priests to offer that witness of unity with their Bishop, with one another and with the lay faithful, which today, as ever, is so necessary. Despite all the evil present in our world, the words which Christ spoke to his Apostles in the Upper Room continue to inspire us: “In the world you have tribulation; but take courage, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). Our faith in the Divine Master gives us the strength to look to the future with confidence. Dear priests, Christ is counting on you. In the footsteps of the Curé of Ars, let yourselves be enthralled by him. In this way you too will be, for the world in our time, heralds of hope, reconciliation and peace!
With my blessing.
From the Vatican, 16 June 2009.
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

1. He was proclaimed as such by Pope Pius XI in 1929.
2. “Le Sacerdoce, c’est l’amour du cœur de Jésus” (in Le curé d’Ars. Sa pensée – Son cœur. Présentés par l’Abbé Bernard Nodet, éd. Xavier Mappus, Foi Vivante, 1966, p. 98). Hereafter: NODET. The expression is also quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1589).
3. NODET, p. 101.
4. Ibid., p. 97.
5. Ibid., pp. 98-99.
6. Ibid., pp. 98-100.
7. Ibid., p. 183.
8. MONNIN, A., Il Curato d’Ars. Vita di Gian.Battista-Maria Vianney, vol. I, ed. Marietti, Turin, 1870, p. 122.
9. Cf. Lumen Gentium, 10.
10. Presbyterorum Ordinis, 9.
11. Ibid.
12. “Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. ‘I look at him and he looks at me’: this is what a certain peasant of Ars used to say to his holy Curé about his prayer before the tabernacle” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2715).
13. NODET, p. 85.
14. Ibid., p. 114.
15. Ibid., p. 119.
16. MONNIN, A., op. cit., II, pp. 430ff.
17. NODET, p. 105.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid., p. 104.
20. MONNIN, A., op. cit., II, p. 293.
21. Ibid., II, p. 10.
22. NODET, p. 128.
23. Ibid., p. 50.
24. Ibid., p. 131.
25. Ibid., p. 130.
26. Ibid., p. 27.
27. Ibid., p. 139.
28. Ibid., p. 28.
29. Ibid., p. 77.
30. Ibid., p. 102.
31. Ibid., p. 189.
32. Evangelii nuntiandi, 41.
33. BENEDICT XVI, Homily at the Chrism Mass, 9 April 2009.
34. Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Clergy, 16 March 2009.
35. P. I.
36. The name given to the house where more than sixty abandoned girls were taken in and educated. To maintain this house he would do anything: “J’ai fait tous les commerces imaginables”, he would say with a smile (NODET, p. 214).
37. NODET, p. 216.
38. Ibid., p. 215.
39. Ibid., p. 216.
40. Ibid., p. 214.
41. Cf. ibid., p. 112.
42. Cf. ibid., pp. 82-84; 102-103.
43. Ibid., p. 75.
44. Ibid., p. 76.
45. BENEDICT XVI, Homily for the Vigil of Pentecost, 3 June 2006.
46. No. 9.
47. BENEDICT XVI, Address to Bishop-Friends of the Focolare Movement and the Sant’Egidio Community, 8 February 2007
48. Cf. No. 17.
49. Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, 74.
50. Encyclical Letter Sacerdotii nostri primordia, P. III.
51. NODET, p. 244.