All About Long Island

A Saintly Visit October 10, 2006

In an unprecedented move, the heart of an unassuming parish priest, known as the “Cure of Ars,” who was later to become St. John Vianney (Jean-Marie Baptiste), was brought to an 80 year old church named after him in Merrick in its first visit to the United States.  Attracting as many believers in death as he did in life, thousands of people waited in long lines for their chance to pray before the relic, many of them expecting a miracle.  They arrived by bus, by car and on foot for this once in a lifetime opportunity to witness the intact heart of a man who died in 1859.

The son of a poor farmer, St. John Vianney was ordained at the age of 30 after twice failing the examinations required.  Though he had trouble learning Latin he was said to have the gift of healing and of reading the hearts of those who came to him.  He lived so in the service of others that he started hearing confessions in the earliest hours of the morning, spending up to 13 to 17 hours in the limited confines of the confessional. 

When his body was exhumed in 1904 due to pending beatification, miraculously his body was found intact.  Both his heart and his body have remained, encased separately in glass in France for over a hundred years. 

This gift of faith comes at a time when the church can certainly benefit from a healing of its own.  As the patron saints of priests, I would say he’s still doing his job.