St. John Vianney is coming to Boston… or at least his relics are. The patron saint of parish priests will have his relics, including his heart, will be available for veneration at St. John’s Seminary, St. Mary’s parish in Waltham, and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. They events will take place October 12-14.
The relics have been brought from France by Bishop Guy Bagnard of Belley-Ars, in whose diocese Vianney was a priest, known as the “Cure of Ars”.
``We bring him to Boston in the hope that his life and deeds will be an inspiration to our parish priests and an inspiration to others to consider whether they are being called to serve as priests in our parishes,” Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley said Friday in a telephone interview from Rome. ``The heart of St. John Vianney is a symbol of his great love of God and of the people he served.”
The Rev. Daniel Hennessey, vocations director of the Archdiocese of Boston, said that people who gather to venerate the heart—which they will do by genuflecting and kneeling in prayer in the presence of the relic—also ``will ask St. John Vianney to intercede with God for the Archdiocese of Boston, [so] that the Lord might send to us more men who are called to be ordained priests.”
This is so excellent! When I heard the relics were coming to Long Island, I thought about driving down there but this is even better… No excuse now not to go!