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

""""50 THE CURtf OF ARS.It was not long before this desire of his heart was alsogranted. The same little band of devout souls who hadled the way in the establishment of evening prayers, andthe perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, nowformed the nucleus around which he was enabled to forma goodly company of frequent and fervent communicants.To aid and expand the growing spirit of devotion amonghis people, M. Vianney lost no time in establishing twodevout confraternities :that of the Blessed Sacrament forthe men, and that of the Rosary for the women, and especially the young girls of his flock. His mode of proceeding in the establishment of this latter society wascharacteristic. One Sunday evening after Vespers he noticed some of the giddiest of the village girls, whom hehad vainly tried to draw toin the church for confession.the evening Rosary, waitingHere,"said he to himself,as he quietly watched them from his place in the choir,is my confraternity of the Rosary ready made."Whenhe saw them ranged round the confessional, "My chilsaid dren," he, we will, ifyou please, say a chaplet together to ask the Queen of Virgins to obtain grace foryou to do well what you are about to do." He thenbegan the prayers, and the girls duly responded. It wasall that was wanted. From that hour many of themdated their conversion. One of them, at that time thelightest and most pleasure-loving of the party, told Catherine Lassagne that she felt so much confused and disconcerted when M. Vianney proposed to them to say theRosary, that she could hardly make the responses."Iadded believe," she, that it was at that moment he obtained my conversion." She became afterwards a modelof piety and regularity. These were some of the holycare s first victories ; the tide was beginning to turn ; but