Fr. Jean Marie Villars, Folk Saint

[brenainn]

Tonight, I'd like to make a brief post about a folk saint that is fast becoming one of my primary patrons. His name is Father Jean Marie Villars (1818-1868). He was a Frenchman who came to the States in the middle of the 19th century. He was ordained in Iowa, then found himself ministering in Indiana. His earthly life seems to have been very run of the mill.

The only notable event was his bizarre death. He didn't show up for Mass one morning and the altar boy sent to find him found a rather macabre scene: the good priest was dead, with his suspenders wrapped around his neck in his bedroom. The authorities ruled his death a suicide but rumors soon began circulating that he had been murdered, and the suicide scene was staged.

Several decades after his tragic death, a woman had a dream of the priest, and the dream supposedly revealed he had been murdered. I'm not sure all the details, but a local cult following soon sprang up, with people visiting his grave to leave coins and make requests for his intercession. That the folk saint's cult continues to this day, albeit somewhat low key, tells me that his intercession has been effective. He has interceded for requests as diverse as healing sickness and obtaining mortgages and also civil legal cases.

His grave is only about two hours from where I live, so I was quite surprised to find a folk saint in the good State of Indiana. Indiana has an interesting Catholic history but it has also been mostly on the conventional, mundane side. When I learned about Fr. Villars a few months ago, I took it as an example of synchronicity, and I've been developing a devotion to him. I have not yet visited his grave, though I am planning a pilgrimage soon. For now, I have a framed picture of him on a table, with a white candle in front of it. I pray to him and leave a coin before his picture. His assistance is subtle but increasingly apparent to me.

Fr. Jean Marie Villars, ora pro nobis!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.M._Villars

http://www.indystar.com/story/life/2015/06/22/priests-mysterious-death-miracles/29077401/

Comments

[prayergardens]

When you said, "The Archdiocese of Indianapolis seems rather dismissive of it", my first thought was "Wow - there must be something to it then!". But I'm a skeptic like that!

Have you seen this? http://indianacatholic.mwweb.org/icath/?page_id=115
I've only skimmed it but I bookmarked it for future reading.

[brenainn]

When it comes to the hierarchy and anything it says, that's often my first thought now, too. ;)

I haven't not seen that before. Thanks for sharing it! I know a little of the history of my diocese, but this looks like a great resource for additional study. I will especially be interested in learning about these particular saintly priests.