The film vividly portrays a priest who refused to abandon his people despite overwhelming challenges and even supernatural struggles against the devil, anchored by unwavering devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Mass.
For those struggling in today’s secular world, EWTN’s newest film, The Curé of Ars, is a stirring reminder that one man, in this case one priest, armed with unshakable devotion, can change the lives of an entire town — and as a man who became a saint and the patron saint of parish priests, the world.
Writer/Director Stefano Mazzeo — known for his work on EWTN’s The Crusades and The Message of Fatima, among others — brings to life the incredible story of St. John Vianney, a priest who refused to abandon his people despite overwhelming challenges.
EWTN premieres this movie at 8 p.m. ET, May 31, the 100th anniversary of the saint’s canonization, EWTN.com/everywhere. (This film also premieres in Europe at 2 p.m. British Time, May 31, with an encore at 9 p.m. British Time, June 1.)
When Vianney first arrived in Ars in 1818, he found a broken society. Taverns thrived while families starved. Sexual immorality led to young women being abandoned with children they couldn’t care for. Faith had withered after the French Revolution, leaving behind a community steeped in debauchery and despair.
The parallels to our own time are striking: As people abandon the faith of their youth, families fracture, children are left in vulnerable situations, and society itself begins to crumble.
However, in his own time, Father Vianney did not condemn his people or turn away from them. Viewers see him in prayer, telling the Lord that he is willing to suffer anything for the conversion of his people. He also preaches with urgency, calling his would-be parishioners back to the sacraments and offering them the kind of spiritual leadership that touches their hearts.
To add to the authenticity of Father Vianney’s story, Mazzeo and his team filmed on location in Ars, so viewers see the rooms in which the saint lived and the pulpit from which he preached.
The film vividly portrays Vianney’s supernatural struggles against the devil. He understood that when demonic attacks increased, a hardened soul was about to convert.
The saint had his share of enemies who didn’t want to hear what the priest had to tell them. One woman begins to warm up to him when he opens a school for girls. However, she remains doubtful until she witnesses a miracle wrought by his prayers and later enters the room where he is experiencing an apparition. It is then that she realizes what a gift Father Vianny is to the townspeople.
Perhaps the saint’s greatest weapon was his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Mass. He spent up to 16 hours a day in the confessional, where he could read souls and help them understand their inherent beauty and dignity as children of God.
Mazzeo’s dedication to historical and spiritual accuracy makes The Curé of Ars not only a compelling story but a call to holiness. British actor Billy Gurney portrays St. John Vianney, not merely as a strict preacher but as a compassionate man whose faith eventually became known throughout France, later Europe, and then, when he was made a saint, throughout the world.
For those struggling in today’s secular world, The Curé of Ars serves as a beacon of hope. Just as Father Vianney never gave up on the people of Ars, his story reminds viewers that God never gives up on us.
Michelle Laque Johnson is director of communications at the EWTN Global Catholic Network and author of Walking the Way of the Cross for Caregivers; this is a shortened adaptation from the “EWTN Wings” weekly programming email. To have info about EWTN shows and specials sent directly to your inbox, sign up at EWTN.com/wings.