Saint JOHN GRANDE

 

Born in 1546 a Carmona (Spagna).

Died at Jerez de la Frontera nel 1600.

Having lost his father at the age of 11, he frequented the local parish church and the sacraments, often praying before Jesus in the Eucharist. The parish priest suggested that he become a priest, but John felt he was called to a life of secular work and went to the city of Seville where he became a cloth merchant for four years. But this work was incompatible with his upright character as he was often obliged to lie.

He left Seville and then his home town and went to stay in the nearby village of Marchena, at the hermitage of Saint Eulalia where John finally found his inner peace through prayer and devotion to the Virgin Mary. Having been given the chance to serve an elderly and homeless couple, he took them into his home and, by begging for them, he learned to practise mercy and charity. This experience led him to live in the large city of Jerez de la Frontera where, sustained by continual prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and frequently attending Mass, and with spiritual direction, he continued to serve the poor, the suffering and the prisoners there.

In 1572 he began the construction of his hospital of Our Lady of Candlemas, setting an example of hygiene and human and Christian care. It was to be followed by hospitals at Medina Sidonia, Arcos de la Frontera, Villamartín and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. He was commissioned by the Archbishop of Seville to carry out his own project to combine the many small hospitals in the city of Jerez.

In Granada, he heard about the existence of the Hospitaller Family of Saint John of God (which had been approved as a Congregation in 1571) and asked to unite his hospitals and his co-workers with it. He personally nursed the plague victims in the city of Jerez, and after eight days of suffering he also died of the plague and was buried in the garden of his own hospital.

In 1986 he was declared the Patron saint of the Diocese of Jerez. His mortal remains are venerated in the shrine dedicated to him by the side of the 'San Juan Grande' hospital of the Brothers of St John of God.

Beatified on 13 November 1853 by Pius IX.

Canonised on 02 June 1996 by John Paul II.

His liturgical Feast Day is 3 June.