Preacher
Extreme differences
“Today the two extremes have met; extreme science and extreme ignorance” is how the Curé of Ars concluded the visit made by Father Lacordaire to Ars, the great preacher of Notre-Dame de Paris.
Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, in religion Father Henri-Dominique, was born on May 12, 1802 in Recey-sur-Ource (21). Having distanced himself from the faith during his student life, he intended for a career as a lawyer and quickly distinguished himself by his qualities as an orator. He converted in 1824 and decided to enter the seminary. An outstanding preacher, journalist and politician, he left his mark on French Catholicism in the 19th century. Retiring to Rome to study, he joined the Dominicans, and returned to France to reestablish the Order in 1841.
On May 3, 1845, Father Lacordaire came to visit Ars. He had wanted to meet the man many people were talking about in Paris for a long time. He had tried several times to come to this village of Dombes, but events had until then prevented him from doing so. He arrived on Saturday evening and, his arrival having been announced by indiscretions, he was expected and lodged at the castle, with the Garets family.
“You taught me to know the Holy Spirit”
The next day, Sunday, from 5 a.m., Lacordaire was at church. The crowd is there, and the Holy Curé has already been confessing for many hours. He then comes out of his confessional and welcomes the Dominican by inviting him to celebrate. Father Lacordaire then attended, from the gallery, Mr. Vianney’s Mass and his homily. On that day, the Gospel is “John 15:26”: “I will send you the Spirit of truth…”; the Curé of Ars preaches on the Holy Spirit, specifying: “The Holy Spirit is the gardener of our souls”. Impressed by the smallness and poverty of the village and by the holiness of its pastor, Father Lacordaire hurried to find Mr. the Curé and said to him: “You taught me to know the Holy Spirit! “.
In the afternoon, Father Lacordaire returned for Vespers and the Holy Curé asked him to preside over them and to preach, which he did without real eloquence; Mr. Vianney listened delighted, installed in the small stall at the entrance to the sacristy. After the service, they both left for the castle; these two priests, perhaps the best known of the time, extremely different, walking towards the castle in a long colloquy…
Blessing
Monnin reports the scene: “Arriving at the castle […], Mr. Vianney asked Father Lacordaire’s blessing and prepared to get down on his knees.” Father Lacordaire did the same “and appeared unshakeable in his resolution inspired by humility and the difference in age”. The Curé of Ars had to comply with his requests and blessed the famous religious. Having got up, they then embraced each other effusively; then Mr. Vianney returned to the church.
Father Lacordaire died in 1861, and he often spoke of this interview with Mr. Vianney: “I attract people to the confessionals (once people had climbed onto a confessional to listen to him), he attracts them into the confessionals. » he would have remarked one day.
Extract from the Annales d’Ars n° 320[mai-juin 2009] .
