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

""20 THE CTJR^ OP AR8.happy in receiving for its pastor the Abbe Bailey, one ofthe confessors for the faith, who during the Reign of Terror had often ministered, at the peril of his life, to thespiritual wants of its pious inhabitants. His first care, ontaking possession of his cure in February, 1803, was tocollect around him the boys and youths of his flock ;andit was not long before an intimate relation was establishedbetween the new Cure and the saintly boy of Dardilly.The sight of the holy priest at the altar made a greatimpression upon Jean Marie. He longed to see andspeak with him; and the first effect of their conversationstogether was to rekindle a desire which had long laindormant in his heart, to devote himself, soul and body,to the service of the suffering Church of Jesus Christ.As a child this had been an instinct, at iteighteen was avocation. If I were ever a priest,"he would say, Iwould win many souls to He had God."opened his heartafter his first Commuto his parents on the subject justnion ;but under the dark cloud which then hung overthe Church in France, they shrank from giving their consent. Jean Marie took the course which he afterwardsrecommended to so manyothers. He committed his vocation to God in obedience and prayer,until it shouldplease Him to remove the obstacles which then stood inthe way of its accomplishment. The Concordat whichfollowed the battle of Marengo in1801, made so great achange in the aspect of ecclesiastical affairs, that he feltthe time was come to lay his long-cherished hope beforethe good Cure of Ecully, and ask his counsel and aid forits fulfilment. M. Bailey gave him the mot decidedencouragement, and sent him away with a promise to doevery thing in his power to assist him. His parents nolonger made any opposition to the wishes of their son,