“All will come to know the message of Jesus Christ.” That is the parish statement of Saint John Vianney Roman Catholic Church. It is a vibrant church reaching out to the diverse community. Here, their commitment to sacramental and spiritual traditions enables them to grow stronger. They grow in their relationship with God.
Saint John Vianney Roman Catholic Church welcomes all to their family of Faith. They invite everyone to share their individual talents. The church has a diverse mass schedule. Saint John Vianney holds masses in Chinese English and Spanish.
St. John Vianney is also the name of a vibrant Roman Catholic Church in the Bronx. The Parish of St. John Vianney Cure of Ars was established around 1961. In 2015, it merged with Holy Family Parish. St. John Vianney Cure of Ars School was founded in 1963. It was created to meet the needs of the surrounding military community. The demographics of Castle Hill changed. However, the administration still served the residents’ needs. Many students were first-generation Americans of Hispanic and Latino descent. They often had family ties to the Caribbean.
The school colors were purple and gold. To celebrate All Saints Day students picked a saint. They wrote a report on that saint. The students dressed up as their chosen saint for a Saint Parade. This parade went around the Castle Hill neighborhood. The annual October parade lasted about 30 minutes. Sadly, the Archdiocese planned to close St. John Vianney in 2011. SJV’s last 8th grade class graduated in June 2011.
Saint John Vianney is also remembered through the Saint John Vianney Clergy Residence. This residence provides a comfortable home for retired priests. These priests devoted their lives to serving parishes and schools. They served throughout the Archdiocese of New York. The Residence ensures that priests live each day with dignity. They can maintain independence. They can practice their Catholic faith in a brotherly community. The Residence is a place of respite warmth and support. It supports pastors who dedicated themselves to the welfare and care of others.
From 1980 to 2001, the Saint John Vianney Clergy Residence served as the Saint John Neumann pre-seminary program. These were for students planning to attend Saint Joseph’s Seminary. In 2003, Edward Cardinal Egan established the Saint John Vianney Clergy Residence.
Saint John Vianney was born Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney in France. He was born on 8 May 1786. John was the fourth of six children. His parents Matthieu Vianney and Marie Beluze were devout Catholics. They helped the poor. They even gave hospitality to St. Benedict Joseph Labre.
In 1818, Jean-Marie Vianney was appointed parish priest of Ars. Ars was a town of 230 inhabitants. When Vianney’s bishop first assigned him to Ars he got lost. Two young men tending flocks pointed him in the right direction. With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence. It was a home for girls. Vianney spent time in the confessional. He gave homilies against blasphemy and dancing. He came to be known internationally. People from distant places traveled to consult him.
Saint John Vianney had a great devotion to St. Philomena. He regarded her as his guardian. He erected a chapel and shrine in honor of the saint. On 4 August 1859, Vianney died at age 73. Biographers recorded miracles performed throughout his life. The body of Saint John Mary Vianney was found to be incorrupt. It is entombed above the main altar in the Basilica at Ars, France. In 1925, John Marie Vianney was canonized by Pope Pius XI. The pope made him patron saint of parish priests.