The Demon Fighter of France and the Lady Crowned with Stars

Imagine walking in on that conversation!

Did you know that Saint John Vianney, the Patron of all Priests, is very much devoted to the Immaculate Conception and that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him?

The Blessed Virgin Mary herself appeared to Saint John Vianney on 8 May 1840. A devout woman who was bringing the Curé of Ars a gift for his charities was a witness of this apparition, which she later described at length to the prelates who were investigating the Ars cause. The story is best told in her own words.

“The clock had just struck one o’clock in the afternoon,” she said, “and the Curé was alone in his room. Catherine Lassagne opened the door of the presbytery to me, and I had already started to climb the stairs when I heard the Abbe Vianney talking as if there was someone with him. I went up on tiptoe and I listened.

Someone was saying to him in a gentle voice: ‘What do you want?’"

‘My sweet mother,’ I heard the Curé’s voice answer. ‘I want the conversion of sinners, the consolation of mourners, and the relief of my sick, and especially of one of them who has been ill for a long time and who is praying that she may either die or be cured.’

The other voice replied: ‘She will be cured, but later.’At these words, I suddenly entered the room, for the door was standing just ajar. As I was suffering from cancer, I was certain that the last words had been about me. What was my surprise when I saw standing in front of the fireplace a lady clad in a dress of dazzling whiteness sown with golden roses. Her shoes seemed to me as white as snow, round her head was a crown of stars which shone like the sun and I was almost blinded.When I was able to lift my eyes on her again, I saw she was smiling most kindly, ‘Dear mother,’ I blurted out, ‘take me to heaven.’

‘Later,’ was all she said.

‘Oh my mother it’s time now!’ I answered.

‘You will always be my child and I will always be your mother,’ she said, and with these words she disappeared. For a moment I was riveted where I stood, I was so dumbfounded at the privilege I had been granted. When I came to myself, I saw the Curé clasped on his breast. I was terrified lest he might be dead, so I went up to him and pulled him by a fold of his cassock.

‘My God,’ was all he said, ‘is it You?’

‘No, Monsieur l’Abbe, it’s me,’ I replied, and as I spoke he came to himself and seemed to shake off his rigidity. ‘Where were you all these time, Monsieur l’Abbe?’ I went on. ‘What did you see?’

‘I saw a lady.’

‘I saw her, too,’ I said. ‘Who is she, this lady?’

‘If you say a single word about it,’ the Abbe Vianney replied sternly, ‘you’ll never set foot here again.’

‘May I tell you what I thought, Monsieur l’Abbe?’ I said, ‘I thought it was the Blessed Virgin.’

‘You weren’t mistaken either. So you think you saw her, too?’‘Yes, I saw her and I talked to her,’ I answered. ‘But now you tell me what sort of state you were in when I thought you were dead.’

‘No, no. I was simply so happy seeing my Mother.’

‘Monsieur l’Abbe,’ I said, ‘it’s only thanks to you that I’ve seen her. When she comes back, consecrate me to her, so that she may consecrate me herself to her divine Son.’

The servant of God promised he would, and then added: ‘You’ll get better.’

‘When, Monsieur l’Abbe?’ I insisted.

‘A little later. Don’t press me too hard.’ Then in a gentler tone he added: ‘What with the Blessed Virgin and St. Philomena, we know each other quite well...’”