Missionary Pastors of Parishes - SOCIETY OF IGNATIANS

Changed Times, Unchanging Faith, Unchanging Priesthood, Unchanging Identity of the Parish

What St. John Vianney achieved, can be achieved all over again if of course “the formula” is used.

The formula is still valid because even though time rolls onwards, man remains a fallen son of Adam whose chief problem is sin; Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; the priest is always the mediator of the sacraments of salvation; he is ever “the shepherd and guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25)

And the essence of the priest’s mission and the parish’s function remains unchanging: to make God present in the soul of every man, woman and child therein.

For after all, what is the parish except a school of sanctity?

Is this not the very reason for its existence and for all its structures and activities?

Is it not within this most important school that the priest is called to be teacher of the Faith, teacher of holiness, surgeon of souls? As Henri Ghéon wrote about the prince of pastors, St. John Vianney:

“For the glory of God and for the happiness of men he had but one aim—to make saints. The bad had to be made good; the good had to be made heroically good: all alike had to be made sure of a place—high or low, in the centre or on the fringe—in the court of heaven.” (Henri Ghéon, The Secret of the Cure d’Ars)