The Diocese of Gaylord said the feast day of St. John Vianney, which was celebrated Aug. 4, provides an opportunity to reflect on the gift of priests.

It also comes as the diocese prepares to take up its annual special collection, which will be put toward supporting seminarians in their education, according to an Aug. 1 Facebook post.

“On Aug. 4, we celebrate the feast of St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests,” the diocese said on Facebook. “His passionate devotion to our Lord drew people closer to their Heavenly Father, reminding us that our priests are central to God’s plan for his people and helping us appreciate the importance of priestly vocations.” 

The Facebook post also mentioned the importance of the the special August collection. Parishioners will also receive a letter from Bishop Jeffrey Walsh detailing the effort.

“Please watch for this special message from Bishop Walsh and pray about how you might continue supporting seminarians and all those considering a priestly vocation or religious life!” the diocese said in its posting.

Currently, five seminarians are studying to become priests for the Diocese of Gaylord. They include Christopher "Jake" Belanger, who is studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio; Andrew Feister, at the Pontifical College Josephinum; Matthew Makarewicz, at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary near Chicago, Ill.; Gerald "Jerry" Przekora; and David Witkowski, to study at St. John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.  

The path to the priesthood typically requires four years of undergraduate study followed by four years at a seminary. The Diocese of Gaylord's Seminarian Education Fund helps offset the cost of tuition, room and board, books and health insurance for men who might not otherwise be able to attend seminaries. 

St. John Vianney, born in 1786, deeply desired to join the priesthood, but he had received little formal education, so he struggled with seminary studies, especially those in Latin, according to Franciscan Media. Although Vianney almost gave up, he sought private tutoring, and eventually he achieved his dream of being ordained a priest.