The Secret of the
Curé de Ars

Compiled, Partially Rewritten, and Arranged
by Pauly Fongemie

SOURCES USED:
Secrets of the Saints, Henri Ghéon, 1944;
From the Housetops Magazine, Vol. XXIV, No. 3, Serial No. 53;
The Life of the Curé de Ars, Abbé Alfred Monnin, 1861;
and Eucharistic Meditations, Curé de Ars, Eccles. Appr. 1923

THE SAINT AND LA SALETTE

"THE Curé of Ars," says M. Monnin, "had been one of the first to believe in the appearance of the Blessed Virgin to the little shepherds of the Alps, and to rejoice in the pledge of hope thus given to the world." We know this because of the letter addressed by him to the Bishop of Grenoble, in which he "expresses his great confidence in Our Lady of Salette," and adding that he had blessed and given out a great number of medals and pictures depicting the apparition.

 We now cite the author at some length:

"In the autumn of 1850 Maximin came to Ars. The Abbé Raymond was then acting as the coadjutor of the holy curé. In order to put the boy's veracity to the test, he received him coldly, and told him that, though he might have deceived others, he would not deceive the Curé of Ars. He reminded him of a case of some young girls who had invented a story of an apparition some thirty years before, and who had lately come to acknowledge their imposture. Maximin at last said, in a temper (as we are told he had done before on similar occasions), "Well, have it then that I am a liar, and have seen nothing." The next day he had two interviews with M. le Curé, one in the sacristy, and the other behind the altar.

"Maximin did not make a very favourable impression at Ars. Those who saw him there were struck in the same manner as the Bishop of Orleans, who thus describes him in his account of a visit to La Salette in 1849: 'I have seen many children in my life,' says Mgr. Dupanioup, 'but seldom or never one who gave me so painful an impression. His manners, gestures, countenance, in fact his whole exterior, struck me as extremely repulsive.'
 
"After his interview with Maximin, the Curé of Ars refused to distribute the pictures and medals of Salette; ... When questioned on the subject, he invariably replied: 'If what the child said to me is true, we cannot believe in the apparition.'
 
" 'This report,' says M. Monnin, 'soon spread far and wide; to the joy of some, and the sorrowful amazement of others. But, after all, what did Maximin say? Much has been written on the subject. Perhaps, however, the missionaries of the diocese of Belley may have had better means than others of ascertaining the truth. We have twice had a serious conversation with M. le Curé on this delicate subject, in the presence of a few witnesses, who must be able to remember, as well as ourselves, the particulars of this confidential conversation. We give them in their simplicity, as exactly as we can call them to mind after an interval of six years.'
 
" 'M. le Curé, what are we to think of La Salette?' 'My friend, you are at liberty to think what you will of it; it is not an article of faith. For my part, I think we ought to love the Blessed Virgin very much.'
 
 'Would it be indiscreet to ask you to be so kind as to tell us what took place between yourself and Maximin in that interview which has been so much talked of? What was the exact impression which it left upon your mind?'
 
'If Maximin spoke the truth to me, he did not see the Blessed Virgin.'
 
'But, M. le Curé, it is said that M. Raymond had tormented the child with questions, and that it was to get rid of his importunity that he said he had seen nothing.'
 
'I don't know what M. Raymond had done; but I know very well that I did not torment him. I merely said to him, when he was brought in to me, "It is you, then, my friend, who have seen the Blessed Virgin?"

'Maximin did not say that he had seen the Blessed Virgin, he only said that he had seen a great lady; perhaps there was some misunderstanding on this point.'
 
'No, my friend; the child told me that it was all untrue; that he had seen nothing.'

'Why did you not require of him to make a public retraction?'

'I said to him: "My child, if you have told a lie, you must retract it." "It is not necessary," he replied; "it does good to the people; many of them are converted." Then he added: "I should like to make a general confession, and to enter some religious house. When I am there, I will say that I have told every thing, and that I have nothing more to tell." Then I replied: "My friend, things cannot go on like this; I must consult my Bishop." "Well, M. le Curé, consult him. But it is not worth the trouble." Thereupon Maximin made his confession."

"M. Vianney added: 'We must not torment ourselves about it. If it is not true, it will fall to the ground of itself. If it is the work of God, men may do what they will, but they will not be able to destroy it.'
 
'M. le Curé, are you quite sure that you rightly heard what Maximin said to you?'
 
'Oh, quite sure. Many have said that I am deaf.'
 
"This unfortlmate assertion, first made by Maximin, is the exact contrary to the truth. M. Vianney's hearing was so acute that he was obliged to wrap up his watch at night, lest the ticking should keep him awake. The hypothesis is that, in consequence of his imperfect articulation from the loss of his teeth, Maximin misunderstood his questions and answered at random. [Your web master is of the opinion that the child had a contrarian streak in his nature and when told that he was not believed but had made up the story, he allowed his detractors their way, as if to say, "I won't have you be liars, so I will let you think I lied." Sometimes children, when confronted with such an accusation and having certain predispositions, can sometimes convey the very impression they are being accused of as it is easier than defending themselves, if they are are not given to such exercises.] Let us continue with the author:

"We have gathered all these words from the mouth of the veritable M. Vianney, who never varied in his statement. He assuredly believed that Maximin had told him that he had not seen the Blessed Virgin; that he had seen nothing. And this clear and positive assertion occasioned him great perplexity. He was inclined to believe, both by the natural disposition of his character, and, after the publication of the decree of the Bishop of Grenoble, by his reverence of episcopal authority; but in the truth and simplicity of his nature it was impossible for him to persuade himself that he had not heard what had been so distinctly articulated; and he struggled hopelessly against the painful doubts excited by the words of Maximin. Hence the  seemingly inconsistent answers which he gave to various inquirers. On the strength of the approbation of the Bishop of Grenoble, he would reply that the apparition might be believed; he permitted, and even, in certain cases, encouraged, the pilgrimage. If pressed to give his personal opinion, he evaded an answer; or, if the character and position of the person who questioned him did not allow of his doing this, he would reply, as we have seen, that if the child had spoken the truth to him, he had seen nothing. When eagerly pressed by persons, unconscious of the indiscretion they were committing, to impart to them the particulars of his interview with Maximin, and to repeat the words which he had heard, we have sometimes seen him, with a kind of nervous movement, pass his hand over his forehead, as if to efface some painful memory, saying, in a supplicating tone, 'This pains me; this hurts my head.'

" 'If you did but know,' said he one day to a pilgrim, who vouches for the accuracy of the words,---'if you did but know how this chills and tortures my heart! Oh, I can bear it no longer! My God, deliver me! When I can shake off the doubt, I am light as a bird! I fly, I fly! But the devil casts me into my doubt again, and then it is as if I were being dragged over flints and thorns.'
 
"This trial lasted for eight years. At last a day came when it was given out that the uncertainty and fluctuations of the holy priest had come to an end. This statement was not at first believed; but the testimony was too strong to be long considered doubtful. In the month of October 1858, M. Toccanier, the missionary then assisting M. Vianney at Ars, wrote thus to a member of the bar at Marseilles, well known as the author of several works upon La Salette:
 
   'Since my last letter I have received from M. le Curé a fuller explanation of his return to his primitive faith in La Salette, of which he had been deprived by the unhappy retractation of Maximin. These are the details; which will, I know, give you pleasure:
 
  'M. le Curé told me that he had prayed to be delivered from the doubt which, out of reverence for episcopal authority, he smothered within his breast. "For a fortnight past," he added, "I had been suffering under great distress of mind, which ceased not till I said the Credo. I wished for an opportunity of manifesting my faith to some person from the diocese of Grenoble; and the next day, behold! a priest whom I did not know came to the sacristy, and said to me, 'May we, and ought we, to believe in La Salette?' "I answered, 'Yes; I have asked a temporal blessing from God by the mediation of the Blessed Virgin, invoked under the title of Our Lady of La Salette. I have obtained it." 'Inpite, then, of the retractation of Maximin, M. le Curé of Ars believes in La Salette.'
 
" 'In the end of June 1858,' writes the Abbé des Garets, Chanoine of Lyons, 'I met at Grenoble, on his way, like myself, to La Salette, M. l'Abbé B---, chaplain of the hospice of D---. This priest is wholly devoted to good works, especially for the spiritual benefit of the military. A particular intention now brought him to the holy mountain. Some pious women under his direction had been long begging him to unite them in a congregation under the invocation of Our Lady of La Salette.
 
" 'M. l'Abbé B---, having long considered this plan, wished, before taking any further step, to consult Our Lady on the very spot of her appearance. He left the mountain, telling me that he was going to consult the Curé of Ars. I made no remark, nor did I warn him of the doubts of M. Vianney on the subject; of which, indeed, he could scarcely have been ignorant. I said not a word to put him on his guard, but awaited the event. On the Abbé B---'s return home, he wrote to me as follows:

   "I have had the happiness of a long conversation with the holy curé. There is no doubt that he is wholly for Our Lady of La Salette. Would that I could repeat to you word for word all that he said to me on the proposed work! His first salutation was an inquiry when I was going to begin; though I had not said a single word on the subject, and he had no means of knowing anything whatever about it. This is certainly most extraordinary. I was so much struck by it, that I have not yet recovered from my amazement. There must now be no further hesitation. The holy interpreter of the will of Heaven desires that the work ahould proceed without further delay. 'But is it quite certain, Father?' said I, as I took leave of him; does God really will this work?' 'Come, come, my child,' eaid he, 'why do you make me repeat it? You want faith. Make a novena to the Holy Ghost and to St. Philomena, and then set to work.'
 
" 'It was evident to me,' continues the Chanoine des Garets, 'that a great change had taken place in the mind of the good curé; but how had it come to pass? This was an important point to ascertain, and yet not so easily accomplished as might be imagined. The Curé of Ars was not very accessible, amid the crowd of pilgrims which continually besieged him. One felt a scruple of conscience, too, in occupying any portion of his precious time, unless upon some matter of great moment, so that I had long ceased to attempt it.
 
" 'Now, however, I determined to try; and in October, 1858, having succeeded in approaching him for a moment, I said: "M. le Curé, do you remember the visit you received early in July from the Abbe B---?"
 
"Yes." "And do you remember also the plan which he communicated to you?"
"Yes; it will succeed." 'I was silenced by these brief, clear, precise replies, and pursued my interrogations no further. But M. le Curé proceeded: "As to me, my friend, I have suffered unspeakably. I was most unhappy for many days; I suffered like a soul in Hell. I knew not whether I ought to believe or not to believe. I wanted to know the truth. At last I determined to say quite simply, I believe. It was as if a stone had fallen from around my neck. I was delivered. I am at peace. I had asked a sign of God, and the next day I received a visit from a professor of the seminary of Grenoble, who asked me what ought to be believed about La Salette."

'Here followed some words so indistinctly pronounced that it was impossible for me to catch them; but the sentence ended with these, most distinctly articulated, "So I believe firmly." '

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