Page:The sermons of the Curé of Ars - Vianney, tr. Morrissy - 1960.djvu/25

 that way—as relics—into the hands of this very far-seeing parishioner.

The Abbé Claude Rougemont, missionary of the diocese of Belley, who was appointed pastor of Ars in 1871, declared at the Process (Session of March 3, 1886): “according to Catherine Lassagne and Brother Athanasius, director of the school, when he was sending his sermons to M. Colomb, the Servant of God had forbidden him to have them printed before having them submitted to examination by an ecclesiastical authority.”

It is not known in what way the Abbé Colomb used the manuscripts of his saintly confrere. In any event he did not, apparently, dream of publishing them; but he preserved them carefully, regarding them as his property. He scarcely even spoke of them, to so intimate a friend as Abbé Delaroche, his devoted collaborator in the direction of the Sisters of the Five ‘Wounds,

The years passed. Oblivion descended upon the sermons of the Curé of Ars; nor were the famous catechisms remembered any better. It had got to the stage that people did not even know that there were manuscripts of the Servant of God in existence.

Perhaps they might have been ignored for the rest of time had not the identity of their custodian been quite involuntarily revealed. M. Valansio, one of the clergy of Belley, to whom the role of “Devil’s Advocate” in the Cause of the Beatification of the Curé of Ars had been entrusted, took a walk one day with M. Colomb. During the course of conversation the Abbé Valansio expressed regret that no one possessed anything belonging to M. Vianney except his very few signed letters.

“But there are his sermons,” replied the other.

“His sermons? . . . I would certainly like to see the color of them.”

“That is easy. I have them.”

A few days later official notice was served upon the Abbé Colomb to hand over his manuscripts to the Bishop of Belley.