St John Grande was born at Carmona (Seville-Spain) in 1546. At the age of 19, he changed name to “Giovanni Peccatore” (“John the Sinner”) and settled at Jerez de la Frontera where he consecrated himself to God, devoting his life to caring for prisoners, recovering prostitutes, and serving the poor and the incurably ill.

He joined the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God in 1574 and welcomed in new followers with whom he opened other Care Centres. A man of extraordinary compassion, like the Good Samaritan, he always nurtured his Hospitaller spirituality with a deep spiritual life, in a spirit of sacrifice and a spirit of prayer: he was a mystic of hospitality.

Acting on the instructions of the Archbishop of Seville, he completed the reform of health care in Jerez and in neighbouring towns and cities, giving preference to serving the poorest people.

He died in 1600, the victim of his love for the victims of the plague. He was beatified by Pius IX on November 3, 1853, and canonised by John Paul II on June 2, 1996. As the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Jerez de la Frontera, his Relics are venerated in that city in the Chapel of the St John of God Brothers’ Hospital dedicated to him, which has been elevated to the rank of the “Diocesan Shrine of Saint John Grande”

Let us pray:

O God, who wonderfully impressed the charism of compassion for prisoners, the poor and the sick on the heart of Saint John Grande, grant that through his intercession we may also yearn to practice love in all things, to be acknowledged as true Disciples of Christ. Amen.