In October of 1813, a 27 year old man entered the Great Seminary of St. Irenaeus in Lyons, France, hoping to prepare for holy orders. He had struggled heavily with his studies in the minor seminary of Verrieres. His fellow students there judged him so inferior in his intellectual skills that they regarded him as a simpleton. His analysis of himself was not much better. In June of 1813 he had written to his father, "Most dear father, as regards my studies, things are slightly better than expected... I remain an exceedingly poor student."

He had no grasp of Latin - the language of the Church and of Her holy priesthood. His general studies had been frequently interrupted during his life - not the least of all by the godless and bloodthirsty nightmare known as the French Revolution. In his secular educational development, he was truly behind most of his fellow seminarians even though they were younger.

But his great desire to become a priest drove him on and he was miraculously accepted by the Major Seminary in Lyons. Despite his hard work he failed his examination at the end of his first term in the major seminary, and was dismissed! His despair was great. He told a friend that he was going to give up the idea of becoming a priest. He would become a religious brother instead. In later years, he would remember "When I was still in my studies, I was almost in despair; I knew not which way to turn."

His close friend, M. Balley, the Cure (Pastor) of Ecully near Lyons, convinced him to give the priesthood one more try. Father Balley himself took up the task of instructing this aging former seminarian. He also used his political and personal connections among those of power or influence in the diocese. Eventually the Cure of Ecully arranged that the man would be able to be tested in May of 1814 along with his former classmates. Unfortunately, when his name was called to be examined he seemed to lose his confidence. He could not grasp the meaning of the questions which were put to him in Latin and his answers were judged unsatisfactory. In the end his examiners stated that if he could find a bishop that was willing to accept him, he was free to seek admission in another diocese. But, this man was not considered fit to be a priest in the their diocese.

Father Balley desperately launched into action again. This time he did not stop until he had convinced the Superior of the Major Seminary and the Vicar-General of the diocese to interview the man one last time. This time, the interview would take place at the rectory of Father Balley’s Church in Ecully where the man was staying.

This time the interview went somewhat better and the examiners were willing to give the man a recommendation for ordination - with certain reservations. But the man’s case would have to be presented to the Ordinary of Lyons.

Because of political problems in France after Napoleon's abdication, Cardinal Fesch - the fallen emperor’s uncle and the head of the Lyons Diocese - had to flee to Rome for safety. Abbe Courbon, the Vicar General of the Lyons diocese, governed in his absence. It was he, then, who would decide the fate of this poor ex-seminarian.

After listening to all the pros and cons swirling around the possible ordination of this 30 year old candidate, the Abbe asked:

"Is this man pious? Is he devoted to Our Lady? Does he know how to say his Rosary?"

"He is a model of piety." replied all the directors with one voice. "He is most tenderly devoted to the Mother of God and the Rosary is his favorite prayer."

"Very well," answered the Vicar-General, "I will receive him, and God’s grace will do the rest."

And so, he was ordained a deacon on June 23, 1815 and almost immediately, in an amazing reversal of his usual fortunes, was nominated for ordination to the priesthood. After a quick and satisfactory examination he was sent to the Bishop of Grenoble to be ordained. And on Sunday, August 13, 1815, at almost thirty years of age, he finally became a Catholic priest.

More sorrows were yet to befall the pious man who had finally, barely, achieved his life’s desire. Although he was ordained, his shortcomings in his studies and apparent lack of intellectual abilities were a legitimate concern to the Abbe Courbon. The Abbe stipulated that the man was not to receive the faculties for hearing confession until later, and then only at the discretion of his bishop.

The newly ordained priest was initially sent to assist his friend, Father Balley at the Church in Ecully. But this happy time was soon ended by the untimely death of Abbe Balley on December 17, 1817.

The following month, Abbe Courbon - still governing the diocese in the Cardinal’s absence - gave the new priest his first assignment as a pastor. But doubts about the cleric’s abilities and formation still clouded Courbon’s attitude toward him. And so, the priest was sent as the Cure (which means "he who cares for souls") of an infamous little village in a backward and remote section of the diocese. In fact, his assignment was considered by his brother priests as "being sent to a kind of Siberia for clergy in the Diocese of Lyons which is reserved for the least promising members of the priesthood." A contemporary of the times stated that to be sent to that area of the Lyons Diocese "was held by his brother priests to be the equivalent to disgrace."

And so, this least of all priests of the Lyons diocese was being sent to the least of all parishes within her boundaries. He would baptize a few babies and bury a few of the locals from time to time while he preached to any empty, run down Church. No one expected anything more…

…no one…. except God…

The priest was Saint John Vianney and the little backwoods parish was Ars, France.

The least of all parishes in the diocese of Lyons became the model parish for all the parishes of the world. People streamed there from every part of Europe to witness the spiritual phenomena of the village - not just its saintly pastor.

This least of all priests of the Lyons Diocese has been named the Patron Saint of every parish priest in the whole world, by Pope Pius XI in 1929. The priest who could not be trusted with the faculties for hearing confession spent on average 16 hours a day in the confessional. The priest who showed the least promise of all the clergy has been proclaimed a Saint in the Roman Catholic Church and his relics have been venerated publicly and solemnly with incense by the Supreme Pontiff under the dome of St. Peter’s itself!

But how could such contradictions happen? It is simple. John Vianney was lacking in the natural sciences of man but applied himself to the Divine Science of God (which is open and accessible to all). And in following this course, he completely surpassed all of those who had applied themselves to accumulating the knowledge of earthly things or judging Divine things with an earthly mind.

With God - all things are possible.