Holiness is the Church’s greatest reform

Christians in every generation look for ways to renew the Church, talking about plans, reforms, evangelisation, synodality, and new ideas. But the feast of St. John MaryVianney on August 4 reminds us that real renewal begins with saints, not strategies.

John Mary Vianney did not seem destined for greatness. He had trouble with his studies, doubted himself, and was sent to the small French village of Ars. But through his steady daily ministry there, he became one of the Church’s greatest pastors. His strength was not a special talent, but deep holiness. He relied on prayer, the Eucharist, and long hours in the confessional, letting Christ work through him.

The Church still faces many challenges, such as fewer people practising their faith, more secular attitudes, less trust in institutions, and rapid technological changes that affect how people connect. Careful planning and good leadership matter, but they cannot take the place of the power of holiness. In the end, people trust the Church not just because of how well it works, but because of the real witness it gives to Jesus Christ.

Pope Francis often pointed to the Curé of Ars as a model for priests. In his 2019 Letter to Priests, he urged pastors to have “the courage to put their trust in the Lord,” and reminded them that fruitful ministry comes from a close relationship with Christ, not personal success. The saint of Ars shows that true pastoral love begins in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and is lived out in humble service to others.

Pope Leo XIV shared a similar message in his homily at the start of his Petrine ministry. He said that “the ministry of Peter is distinguished precisely by this self-sacrificing love” and explained that Christian leadership is “never about capturing others through force, religious propaganda, or power. Instead, it is always about loving as Jesus did.” These words remind us of St. John Mary Vianney, who touched thousands of lives not with influence or power, but with compassion, prayer, and steady faithfulness to the Gospel.

As the diocese celebrates the Jubilee Year with the theme of hope, the Curé of Ars reminds us that hope is not just a vague feeling, but comes from lives changed by grace. Every parish, family, and Christian community is renewed when ordinary people choose holiness in daily life. The Church’s future depends not only on what we build, but on who we become.

The feast of St. John Mary Vianney invites all of us—bishops, priests, religious, and lay people—to find the path of real renewal again. The Church needs saints more than celebrities. Every true reform in her history started with people who let Christ change their own hearts first. This is still the best way to renew the Church and bring hope to the world. Josekutty Mathew, CMF