Year for Priests

You may already have heard that Pope Benedict has announced a special Year for Priests, to begin this June 19th, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The theme for the year is "faithfulness of Christ, faithfulness of priests," and the celebration coincides with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, also known as the Cure of Ars. The Cure (pronounced cure-AY; it's missing the accent mark) lived and ministered in France in the 1800s. He is the patron of priests and is renowned for his pastoral spirit, holiness of life, and remarkable gifts as a confessor.

According to Zenit, the Vatican is also offering a plenary indulgence for all the faithful during this year:

For the faithful, a plenary indulgence can be obtained on the opening and closing days of the Year for Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

To obtain the indulgence the faithful must attend Mass in an oratory or Church and offer prayers to "Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to his heart."

The conditions for the faithful for earning a plenary indulgence are to have gone to confession and prayed for the intentions of the Pope.

June is usually a time of priestly jubilees and ordinations. This special year provides a great opportunity to show gratitude for the dedicated ministry of so many wonderful priests in our lives. Here at Pauline Books & Media, we have every kind of gift idea to help you say "thank you."