8 year old Sophia LeGare, prays in front of the heart of St. John Vianney, displayed for veneration at St. Mary's Historic Seminary and Spiritual Center in Baltimore. (Photo by Rus VanWestervelt)
   

 
 

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  Major relic of priest renowned for holiness to visit Detroit; St. John Vianney is offered as a model for today’s priests

DETROIT - A major relic of France’s St. John Vianney, who is held up as the ideal for Catholic priests, will visit the Archdiocese of Detroit this month as part of a national relic pilgrimage hosted by the Knights of Columbus.

The tour has been dubbed “Heart of a Priest,” which refers to the physical heart of John Vianney that has resisted decay for more than 150 years, as well as to the good character all priests are called to embrace. The saint’s incorrupt heart, contained in a special casing and visible to the faithful, will be available for public veneration at two locations:
• St. John Vianney Parish, 54045 Schoenherr Road in Shelby Township
Saturday, March 30 from 2-8 p.m. with Mass at 5 p.m.
• Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 2701 Chicago Boulevard in Detroit
Sunday, March 31 from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Father Tim Mazur, pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, shared his hope that the tour would open the hearts of the faithful.

“Our culture is longing for radical, life-changing, genuine love – the kind of love that goes beyond just a good feeling once in a while, but that stays with us no matter what and lifts us up to be our true selves. This love poured from the heart of the Lord to the heart of St. John Vianney,” Father Mazur said. “I pray that this time with the relic of his heart will inspire and encourage all of us to open our hearts to that kind of radical love, and let it pour out of us.”

Monsignor Todd Lajiness, rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, called it a “tremendous blessing” to host the relic in the seminary’s main chapel.

"St. John Vianney is a model for priestly devotion,” he said. “His life radiated the love and mercy of the Father, and it is that deep love that we pray touches all of our hearts."

Father Stephen Pullis, Director of Evangelization, Catechesis and Schools at the archdiocese, helped arrange for the relic to visit southeast Michigan.

“I know many priests and lay faithful are very excited for the opportunity to pray with the incorrupt heart of St. John Vianney,” Father Pullis said. “We are in the midst of a time of great trial and purification in the Church. What better model of priestly holiness and dedication to priestly service can we have than the patron saint of all priests?

“I am very confident that his witness and intercession will bring great blessings to the Archdiocese of Detroit and our movement to Unleash the Gospel.”

The relic pilgrimage was announced August 21 by Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson in a letter to the Catholic organization’s chaplains and members. The relic pilgrimage will run well into the spring and will include stops throughout the country.

To learn more about the relic pilgrimage, please visit kofc.org/vianney

About St. John Vianney
St. John Vianney, popularly known as the Curé of Ars, is revered as a model of priestly generosity, purity and prayerfulness. Born in France in 1786, he grew up in a time of open hostility to the Church in the wake of the French Revolution, when the faith was attacked, churches were destroyed and clergy were martyred. Assigned to lead the parish in the small farming community of Ars, Father Vianney excelled at both prayer and work.

He was famous for hearing confessions for up to 18 hours a day as people from across Europe and beyond came to see him. His notoriety throughout the Catholic world grew even after his death in 1859, and he continues to inspire a quest for holiness by both priests and the laity. His incorrupt heart — a major relic — normally resides at the shrine named for him in Ars.

About relics
In Catholic tradition, a relic is a physical object associated with a saint that may be offered to the faithful for veneration. Neither the relic nor the saint are to be worshipped, but are rather venerated as holy objects in recognition of the fact that God has worked through the saint. A major or first-class relic was part of the saint’s body, as opposed to something that the saint touched or wore. The term “incorrupt” refers to part of a human body that has avoided the normal process of decomposition after death. It is a sign — but not a proof — of the person’s holiness, and is sometimes seen in Catholic saints and blesseds.

 

 

 

   
 

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