St. John Vianney

Yesterday the Church celebrated the Curé of Ars — a man who nearly failed out of seminary, who was assigned to a parish no one wanted, and who became the greatest parish priest in the history of the Church. John Vianney spent sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional. People came from across France just to confess to him. He slept on a bare floor, ate almost nothing, and poured every ounce of himself into the people God had given him. For homeschooling families, St. John Vianney is a reminder to pray for your parish priest. He carries more than you see. He is often underappreciated, sometimes overwhelmed, and almost always giving more than anyone asks. If your children love their faith, a priest helped build that. Write him a note this week. Bring him a meal. Tell your children why you're doing it. And if your family is looking for a new patron for the school year ahead, the man who transformed Ars by simply showing up and staying faithful is a good place to start.

"The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." — St. John Vianney

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Upcoming in Houston

LAR Youth Marksmanship Program — Long Acres Ranch | Homeschool students only, ages 9+ entering 4th grade | Wednesdays 2:00–4:00 p.m., August 19–December 2 | Student Air Rifle and Civilian Marksmanship programs | Seats limited | Application window: August 5-12 | Richmond

Riparian Wonders — HMNS Sugar Land | Saturdays, August 8 & 22 | 10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | Discover how healthy streams support wildlife, prevent erosion, filter pollutants, and improve water quality | Hands-on activities about protecting local water resources

Fall Art Classes — Glassell Junior School at MFAH | Homeschool classes | September–December | Little Picassos, Magical Journey Through Art, Pop-Up Art, Digital to 3D, Storybook Illustration, and more | Priority registration open now for MFAH members, new student registration opens August 12

Music & Meteors: Perseids Meteor Shower — George Observatory | Thursday, August 13 | 8:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. | Watch up to 100 meteors per hour with live classical, pop, and movie music | Bring a chair or blanket | Needville

Mercy Nights — Shrine of the True Cross | First evening: Saturday, August 15 | 6:45 p.m. | Prayer, live worship music, dynamic speaker Gabe Castillo, Eucharistic Adoration, and fellowship meal | Open to the whole family | Dickinson

August Book of the Month: The Prodigal World — Cluny Media | $10 | Fulton Sheen interprets the parable of the Prodigal Son in the light of the modern world — seventeen addresses pointing the way back to the Father's House | While supplies last | A CHECH partner