The care of souls

While visiting a church in a nearby parish earlier today, I spotted a little shiny laminated card tucked away in a small corner of a noticeboard with the inscription, “The holiness of a priest is built by his community that prays, loves and supports him”.  The phrase caught my attention.  I am not sure of its prevenance.  The saying is true in a wider sense that all of us travel to God together with others and our growth is helped (or hindered) by the prayers, love and support of those around us.  Of course, this in no way diminishes our own personal responsibility for our decisions and actions.

The idea of praying for our local parish priest is an excellent one. Too often, we take so much for granted: that there will always be a priest to baptise infants (or adults as the  case may be), that a priest is on hand to celebrate mass every Sunday, that a priest is on hand to hear confessions or be a sounding board in times of difficulty and that a priest will be there to accompany us on our final journey. None of this can be taken for granted as the age-profile of priests shifts and as vocations to the priesthood have collapsed over a sustained period of decades.

The situation that the Church in Ireland finds itself is not unprecedented. In the early 19^th century a certain Jean Vianney (born in 1786) was ordained and sent to a country parish called Ars in Eastern France. He was informed that the Catholic faith was extremely weak and religious practice even weaker in this particular parish following the ravishes of the French revolution at the turn of the century.

John Vianney would become a saint and a patron of parish priests in due course.  His role as an exemplary priest is outlined here.  An important aspect of his mission to Ars – a small rural district of less than 250 souls – was what might nowadays be called a threefold pastoral strategy:

1. The celebration of the Mass and Eucharistic devotion was central to revival;
2. The sacrament of reconciliation or penance was a huge part of his daily ministry absorbing most of his waking hours; and
3. Devotion to Mary the Mother of God.

By the grace of God, the strategy worked. By his death in 1859 thousands were flocking to Ars to seek the help and ministry of the Curé. According to some traditional biographical accounts, St. John Vianney signed a petition requesting his own removal as pastor, out of humility and a conviction that someone else would serve the parish better!  He did not lack humility or, perhaps, a good sense of humour, or both!

The celebration of his memory and intercession on his feast day, yesterday, 4 August, is a good reminder of the key role that parish priests continue to play in the church. They are on the front line ministering on so many fronts. The local parish and its priest (if there is one) is where the ‘rubber hits the road’ for the universal and the local catholic church.  Much of the work and loving sacrifice of priests goes unnoticed and unacknowledged. They need our support, encouragement and prayers.