Sanctuary of Ars

Sanctuary of Ars is in Ars-sur-Formans, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France and is a major Catholic pilgrimage sanctuary preserving the memory, house, relics and tomb of St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars.. Jean-Marie Vianney arrived in Ars on 13 February 1818 and became parish priest when Ars was established as a parish in 1821.

He served there until his death in 1859. The sanctuary’s pilgrimage mission developed around his memory after his death. The present complex preserves the older parish church as he knew it, while the adjoining basilica was begun by architect Pierre Bossan in 1862.

Pilgrims venerate St. John Vianney as a model of priestly life and seek prayer at his shrine; the sanctuary identifies him as patron saint of parish priests. Religious life or devotional practice associated with the site includes Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, and pilgrimage prayer. The pilgrimage landscape preserves several places directly connected with Vianney’s ministry, including the older church and his former house.

The basilica did not replace the historic parish church completely; the sanctuary deliberately retained spaces known to the Curé d’Ars while adding a larger setting for pilgrims and the saint’s shrine.