Coached By The Curé: Lessons in Shepherding with St. John Vianney

Liz Lantigua reviews a new book about a saint who was a perfect example for priests and anyone who wants to grow in relationship with God.

Coached By The Curé: Lessons in Shepherding with St. John Vianney

By Kevin Wells

Published by Scepter

August 4th was the feast day of Saint John Vianney, known as the patron saint of parish priests. France has a rich history of many wonderful saints, and Saint John Vianney is a perfect example for all priests and for all of us who want to grow in an intimate relationship with our Creator.   

Coached By The Curé: Lessons in Shepherding with St. John Vianney by Kevin Wells is written as if Saint John Vianney were relating his life and coaching the reader on how to apply practices and virtues to modern-day problems. Saint John Vianney gives us the solutions that worked then, and can be applied now, by much prayer and sacrifices for the salvation of souls.  

There are two things that really stood out as I read this book. First, the immense power of prayer. Second, the incredible power of the intercession of the Blessed Mother.  

Saint John Vianney and the Power of Prayer  

“God commands you to pray, but he forbids you to worry,” Saint John Vianney said. This is a perfect example of surrendering to God.  

Prayer was Saint John Vianney’s strength and weapon against evil. Ars was a faithless town. Its bars were full and its church empty. When young Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, also known as the Curé d’Ars, which translates to “the parish priest of Ars” arrived in the town, he felt that enormous responsibility of saving the souls of his parishioners. During the French Revolution, thousands of faithful priests had been murdered and hundreds of others denied God out of fear. That was the state of religion in France at that time.   

John Vianney was not going to let the evil one conquer those souls, so he put on the armor of God, and prayed for hours by the tabernacle. He fasted and endured all sorts of sacrifices for the conversion of the town. He spoke boldly and showed his people how much he cared for them. As they began to return to the Church, he spent numerous hours in the confessional administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So powerful was the outcome that the evil one attacked him with all sorts of chilling noises and manifestations.  

“Oh, how miserable is a priest who does not have a strong interior life,” Saint John Vianney would say, and he advises us to do the same, no matter what our state in life.  

Saint John Vianney’s Devotion to the Blessed Mother  

Second, I was reminded of the powerful intercession of Mother Mary. Saint John Vianney began to meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and felt Mary take him by the hand decade by decade, “into the savagery of what she saw after Jesus left Gethsemane. I saw her evince her motherhood through courage and resolve.” Saint John Vianney urges us to call on Mother Mary in frightening times, since demons scatter at the mention of her name.   

The book begins with an imagined dialogue in heaven between several well-known priests such as Saint Peter, Padre Pio, Saint John Bosco, Saint Maximillian Kolbe, Saint John Neumann, Saint Philip Neri, and Saint Damien of Molokai sending a message to priests. There is also part of a dialogue with Saint Philomena, counseling parents today. Saint John Vianney was very devoted to Saint Philomena. I found myself confused at times, not knowing who was the narrator and having to read the pages again, but the rest of the chapters were very informative and inspiring.   

Saint John Vianney coaches us throughout the book to stay strong and embrace penances for our loved ones and we will notice our worries lessening. He tells us that God’s grace is perfecting our nature. God is working to tame our natural temptation to worry and replacing it with faith in His paternal goodness. 

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Copyright 2025 Liz Lantigua
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