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The Curé of Ars's Kitchen |
When he arrived in Ars, the church was in the most extreme disrepair. The mantels and ornaments were in a deplorable state. There was no side chapel in the church. The bell tower had a bell that broke, and he had to buy a larger one. But every time he rang it, it seemed as if the bell tower would fall. So, in 1820, he built a brick bell tower and installed two new bells.
And he began to build side chapels. In 1821, the chapel of the Virgin Mary,
where he celebrated Mass every Saturday. In 1823, it was the turn of the chapel of Saint John the Baptist, his protector. He says it was due to an apparition of Saint John the Baptist while he was celebrating Mass. He saw Saint John the Baptist on one side and the Virgin Mary on the other. This apparition was real, as he himself told it to me (Father Renard) and a few other people.
He himself told them in some catechism classes, as Miss Belvey testified:
If you knew everything that has happened in this chapel, you wouldn't even dare set foot in it. I won't tell you more.
The third chapel was for his beloved Saint Philomena. The fourth was that of the Ecce Homo. The fifth was that of the Angels. And every time he finished a chapel, he held a great celebration to bless it, to which he invited the entire parish.
He also completely refurbished the main altar, with a new and attractive tabernacle in gilded copper to worthily house the love of all loves, Jesus in the Eucharist. He bought new candlesticks and even brought two small gilded angels from Lyons.
He took care to buy banners, a beautiful canopy, a gorgeous monstrance,
and the finest ornaments and sacred vessels he could find in Lyons. It all seemed too little for the Lord. He also obtained suitable vestments for the choirboys and acolytes, to enhance the liturgical ceremonies. Most of these alterations were made with the help of Mademoiselle d'Ars and her brother, the viscount, who lived in Paris. He also bought new images of the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Philomena.
When boxes of new things arrived from Lyon, sent by the viscount, he could not hide his joy. As he took out the boxes, he would say to those who passed by: "Come see beautiful things before you die."
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His poverty was extraordinary. He literally emptied himself in favor of the poor. He shunned honors. Chastity shone on his face. He knew the cost of purity to find the source of love that is in God. For him, obedience to Christ translated into obedience to the Church and, especially, to his bishop...
He endured many slanders from the people, misunderstandings from a coadjutor vicar or other priests, and a mysterious struggle against the powers of hell... However, he was not content to accept these trials without complaint, but sought out mortification, imposing continual fasts on himself...
To a brother priest, discouraged (because of the lack of effectiveness of his apostolate), he said: Have you prayed, groaned, fasted, spent sleepless nights?
John Mary Vianney continues to be a living and contemporary testimony of the truth about vocation and priestly service.
Your brother and friend from Peru.
Fr. Ángel Peña O.A.R.
La Caridad Parish
Pueblo Libre - Lima - Peru
Telephone 00(511)4615894