We’re all called to be saints, and Father Jonathan Meyer of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has a unique way of reminding himself of this calling on a daily basis!
During a visit to Bright, Indiana, Chris Stefanick shared a behind-the-scenes look into life at the rectory, Father Meyer’s impressive relic collection, and more on his YouTube channel and across social media.
It was near the end of this candid conversation that Father Meyer revealed how his quest for sainthood inspired his bedroom decor. More specifically, his devotion to the patron saint of priests, Saint John Vianney.
“Saint John Vianney is my favorite saint…he just taught me how to be a priest,” Father Meyer begins.
He then makes the connection to his childhood bedroom, hosting Michael Jordan memorabilia. He wanted to be like Mike, so he surrounded himself with reminders of the basketball legend.
Now, he surrounds himself with a different aspiration.
In the video, Father Meyer shares a framed picture of Saint John Vianney’s original bedroom, followed by a look at his humble recreation in the Indiana rectory.
“If you go to Ars, France…the bedroom is still there,” Father Meyer adds.
Here is a look at Saint John Vianney’s bedroom on YouTube:
You really can visit if you’re ever in France, too!
The main imitation focuses on the canopy above the saint’s bed, and while it is not an exact comparison, the reason behind the “beyond epic” similarity stands out the most.
You can see Father Meyer’s humble recreation in his bold bed canopy revealed during the conversation here:
“It is really neat every day when I wake up, I know who I’m supposed to be,” Father Meyer says.
“Every night when I go to bed, I know who I’m supposed to be. My identity is the fact that I am a priest of Jesus Christ, and I want to not just be a priest of Jesus Christ, I want to be a saint.”
Father Meyer elaborates on the reasoning behind his decision to recreate the space.
“Your environment changes you. Your friends change you. What you hang around, with and in, it changes you. And so, I came up with this idea, and it’s been awesome.”
Let us remember to pray for our priests!
A Prayer of Saint John Vianney
I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than to live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally. My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath.