Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

"Come"152 THE CURJ& OF ARS.but the origin of the pilgrimage cannot be better ex"plained than in Catherine s words : Grace was so powerful,that it went in search of sinners.""Divine Providence," says M. Leon Aubineau, "hasso ordered that it, during the course of thirty years, themen of the seventeenth century, so enamoured of allmanner of vanities, should come in crowds to do homageto humility and .simplicity. While the philosophers ofour day have been inveighing against confessionand itsconsequences, the people have replied by flocking tcArs to venerate a confessor."The first object of the pilgrimage was unquestionablythe confessional. Such instances as the following werevery frequent at its commencement. M. Vianney was inhis room about nine o clock at night, when he was startledby a vigorous knocking at the door. Uponitopening hesaw a great, robust, and very determined-looking macstanding there, who thus addressed him :to the church. I want to make my confession.I have made up my mind to do it,and that at once."The good cure, not without some lurking apprehensionof robbery, took the sturdy penitent to the church. Hewas a wagoner, and had left his wagon and horses at thechurch-gate. He made his confession, and before hedeparted, he thrust a pair of worsted stockings intoM. Vianneys hand, saying :Sir, you have got a bad cold ; put these on youifeet as quick as you can."Curiosity doubtless had its place among the motiveswhich brought pilgrims to Ars. Many came simply to lookat the magnificent ornaments which enrich the little church,and to wonder at the ascetic form of the cur6, who wasspoken of far and wide asa wonder of mortification and