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Young John was born on a farm in France on May 8, 1786. Since he had very little formal education his background knowledge was extremely limited and Latin was particularly difficult for him to learn. After several years of struggle in and out of school, John was ordained a priest in August of 1815. In 1818, John was assigned to the parish of Ars-sur-Formans, France which was a tiny village near his home in Lyons. His new church suffered from very lax attendance. Father John began visiting his parishoners, especially the sick and the poor. He also spent may days in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. |
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His greatest work was the saving of souls spending up to 18 hours a day in the confessional during the last 10 years of his life. He led his parishoners by his example of penance, prayer and fasting. He was blessed with extraordinary gifts of discernment of spirit, prophecy, hidden knowledge and the working of miracles. From his early youth, he practiced self-denial and for 40 years his food and sleep were barely enough to sustain life. Still he labored, with unfailing humility, gentleness, patience and cheerfulness until he was more than 73 years old. |
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