John Paul
Jaipur, August 4, 2020: Bishop Oswald Lewis of Jaipur on August 4 urged priests of the diocese to follow the virtues of Saint Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney.
Vianney (1786-1859), a French priest, is the patron saint of parish priests. His feast is on August 4.
Addressing the priests of the diocese on the occasion of the feast day, Bishop Lewis said that pastors must imbibe the virtues that the saint practiced.
“We know about his life but we need to take some inspiration from his life and put them to practice,” the prelate reminded.
He emphasized three virtues namely giving priority to prayer and love in life.
Quoting the saint, the bishop said, “Our hearts are very small when we are less loving and less forgiving. When we pray, our hearts grow at the service of others.”
Secondly, the prelate stressed being a good pastor.
He said, “He is saddened to hear that many priests do not visit families other than the routine visits.”
Priests need to regularly visit families and impart the Word of God and catechism. Also, they must listen to their problems and pray for them, Bishop Lewis said.
Lastly, he highlighted the sanctification of the priests.
“As many temptations surround us especially the comfort culture and temptation of ‘wine, women and wealth’ one needs to be on constant vigilance and pray for God’s help. There are now stringent rules about sexual misconduct especially sexual abuse of minors. One needs to constantly be on the watch and pray for each other,” he said.
Some of the priests expressed that this knockdown was a challenging time as they had to face loneliness and depression.
At the same time, it was an opportunity to deepen their faith and to reach out to the needy.