Saint John Vianney, the apostle of trust in Mary

Among the imitable traits of the prodigious holiness of John Mary Vianney, known as the Curé d'Ars (a small village in eastern-central France), one in particular stands out: his devotion to Mary. 

At first glance, this may seem surprising. Saint John Vianney left us only three sermons, one catechism lesson, and a few conversational remarks on the topic of  the Blessed Virgin.

Over and above his teachings, Saint John Vianney left us the example of his life as a parish priest, marked out by Marian feasts, in which Mary's maternal hold on his soul and the total consecration of himself and his work to her, shine forth. 

Would it be an exaggeration to see in this consecration the key to his personal sanctity and apostolic fruitfulness?

Father Jacques Pagnoux (+1997) 

Excerpt from his book L'Apôtre de la confiance en Marie, Éditions Saint-Paul, Paris, 1957, p. 14.