Restless Hearts · Week 1 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. John Vianney
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
Faith in hiding
John Vianney was born on May 8, blank 1, near Lyon, France, into a farming family. Three years later the French Revolution began.
The revolutionary government tried to control the blank 2. Priests who refused its oath were hunted, and many churches were closed. The Vianney family attended Mass in secret, said by priests who risked their lives.
John made his First Communion at blank 3 in a private house. Those hidden priests were heroes to him, and he decided to become one.
The decision was costly. He had almost no schooling, and his father needed him on the farm. He did not begin his studies until he was blank 4.
From Dardilly to Ars
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1786 | Write your answer |
| 1789 | Write your answer |
| 1806 | Write your answer |
| 1815 | Write your answer |
| 1818 | Write your answer |
| 1859 | Write your answer |
| 1925 | Write your answer |
| 1929 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
Why did young John admire priests so much? Circle one.
- A They were wealthy and respected in Lyon
- B They ran the school he attended as a boy
- C They risked their lives to bring the sacraments
- D They led the Revolution in his home village
Why is that the right answer?
The long road, then the long line
Latin, the language of all seminary lessons, defeated John again and again. He failed exams and was sent home from the seminary. Father Balley tutored him privately and spoke up for him. His superiors blank 5 him in 1815 because of his goodness, not his grades.
In blank 6 he was sent to Ars, where few people practiced the faith. He prayed for hours, visited every home and opened La Providence, a home for girls in need.
Then people began coming for blank 7, the sacrament in which God forgives sins through a priest. By the 1850s about 20,000 visitors a year arrived. He heard confessions up to 16 hours a day.
Why ordain him?
Why was John ordained despite failing his exams? Circle one.
- A His holiness and good sense were clear
- B His father paid the seminary a large fee
- C The exams were cancelled during the war
- D He finally became the best Latin student
Why is that the right answer?
Full attention or divided?
Father Vianney gave each person in line his whole attention. Sort each situation. Check one box for each.
| Item | Full attention | Divided attention |
|---|---|---|
| Phone face down while a friend shares bad news | ||
| Scrolling a feed during a family meal | ||
| Replying “lol” without reading the whole message | ||
| Calling a friend instead of just reacting to a post | ||
| Gaming with one earbud in while a parent talks | ||
| Turning off notifications to pray for ten minutes | ||
| Asking a follow-up question before giving advice | ||
| Checking a notification in the middle of a conversation |
Think it through
What best explains why thousands came to Ars each year? Circle one.
- A Ars was on the main road to Paris
- B He was known as a brilliant scholar
- C The government sent pilgrims there
- D He listened and led people to God’s mercy
Why is that the right answer?
Talk it over
People waited for days to spend a few minutes with someone who truly listened. Who listens to you like that? What gets in the way of you listening like that, online or face to face?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “I know someone is really listening when ...”“The thing that most splits my attention is ...”“Online, real listening could look like ...”“One change I could make this week is ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, you never tire of listening to us.
Give us courage to keep going when we fail.
Quiet the noise around us, and teach us to listen.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
A student who failed his exams became the patron saint of every parish priest. His feast day is August 4.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. John Vianney shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Choose one of the three virtue practices and do it every day until next week’s saint.