Known as "the Cure' of Ars" (the parish priest of Ars), St. John Vianney (1786-1859) is the Patron of Parish Priests. Thought by others to be incompetent due to his difficulty passing his studies, he was ordained in 1816 and sent to the little village of Ars, which is in southern France. Ars was considered by priests of his day to be a dead-end assignment, and an indication of disfavor, but St. John did not feel that way, worked hard to be a good priest, and was soon loved by his people and known as a confessor of unparalleled holiness. He lived an extremely austere life, often eating only potatoes, wearing old clothing, and sleeping only two hours each night. Among other gifts, he had the ability to read the minds and hearts of the penitents who came to him for confession, and soon people came from all over France to go to confession to St. John. So large were the crowds that it was common for him to begin hearing confessions at 1 AM and spend 13 to 17 hours a day in the confessional. His incorrupt body lies in a golden reliquary above the main altar at the Basilica in Ars. Canonized in 1925, his feast day is August 4th.