Here is the story of Monsignor Henri Convert, a great connoisseur of the Saint. This is one of the most interesting documents concerning the Secular Franciscan vocation of John Mary Vianney:     

          “One of the glories of Father Leonard ofm cap is to have been the confident, friend and spiritual director of the Curé d’Ars. He is the one who supported, helped and encouraged him, just as he met with the hardest assaults of the devil. When he was harassed by the thought of becoming a Capuchin religious, and being afraid not to save his soul amidst these crowds of people who invaded his little parish, the Venerable Father Vianney visited the good Father Leonard at Lyon, in the Convent of Brotteaux, so as to receive his advices. But, the holy religious every time deduced him from his projects. He obliged him to go back to his apostolic work, by telling him that he was not called to become a Capuchin, and that God called him to Ars,  where he could save more souls.  Consoled and strengthened by the words of the Father, the holy Parish Priest took again the road of his parish on foot. One day, more sad than usual about the talks about his person, he came to lament and entreated again Father Leonard to intercede for him with the Superior of the Order of Saint Francis. The holy religious, as a man of experience, and filled with the Spirit of God, absolutely refused to comply with his request. However, to satisfy his holy desire of religious life, he spoke to him about the Third Order of Saint Francis, and sometime later, Father Leonard received Father Vianney in the Third Order. Moreover, in order to console him, he went himself to Ars to establish a Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order.

          “In 1891, giving up to Father Ephrem’s entreaties, Father Leonard went, although he was 80 years old, to see again the parish of Ars in order to listen to Bishop Charles-Emile Freppel, of Angers, France, and met two Secular Franciscan sisters, contemporaries of the holy Parish Priest, whom he received in the Secular Franciscan Order, the day of the erection of the Fraternity. Then, he took the opportunity to draw up a report, whose terms are:

“I the undersigned certify that I have received in the Third Order of Saint Francis, at the Friary of Brotteaux, in Lyon, in the year 1847, Mr Jean Baptiste Vianney, Parish Priest of Ars. I have also admitted him at Profession, the year after, in Ars, in the church where I established the Third Order by appointing him Director.”

                                                                  Extracted from:

                                                         The Holy Curé d’Ars and tertiary priest.

On August 4, 1859: entrance in the eternal life of the Holy Curé d’Ars.

On October 3, 1872: Pope Pius the IX declares him ‘Venerable’».

On January 8, 1905: Pope Pius X proclaims him ‘Blessed’.

On May 31, 1925: Pope Pius the XI on the Solemnity of  Pentecost      proclaims John Mary Vianney

             “Patron saint of all priests of the world”.