St. John Vianney: The Coach and Spiritual Director We Need, by Constance T. Hull

We live in an age when laity, clergy, and religious are seeking holy guides. These confusing and dark days have left countless people discouraged. I repeatedly have conversations with friends in the clergy and the laity who are in search of a spiritual director but cannot seem to find one. Kevin Wells has sought to provide a warm hearth in this dark wintertime through the literary resurrection of St. John Vianney in his most recent book, Coached by the Curé: Lessons on Shepherding with St. John Vianney.

I remember clearly the words of a confessor to me years ago: “Turn to the lives of the saints as your guides.” Wells does just that for the numerous families searching for clarity in the midst of soul-crushing ambiguity. While the book is targeted for parents who want to keep their children Catholic or commit to the spiritual battle to bring them back to the Church, the patron saint of parish priests has plenty of direct advice to priests and their call to save souls no matter the cost. …