Daily Saint

St. John of God was a pioneer of compassionate healthcare and a devoted servant of the poor. Born João Cidade in Portugal in the late 15th century, he was taken from his family as a child and lived on the streets until a man took pity on him and hired him as a shepherd. He later became a soldier and a bookseller, searching restlessly for purpose and meaning.

A turning point came in 1539 when he heard a sermon by St. John of Ávila that deeply moved him to repentance and conversion. Overcome with remorse for his past life, St. John began performing extreme acts of penance that led others to consider him unstable. He was confined to a mental hospital, where St. John of Ávila visited him and encouraged him to stop lamenting and atone for his sins by serving others.

After his release, St. John dedicated himself to caring for the abandoned sick and poor. Renting a small house in Granada, he personally washed, fed, and nursed those no one else would help. His radical charity, combined with deep prayer and trust in God, soon drew volunteers who shared his vision.

From this humble beginning, the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God grew and was later known as the Fatebenefratelli. The Order emphasized holistic care—tending not only to patients’ physical ailments but also to their spiritual and emotional needs.

St. John’s life was one of constant sacrifice. Initially, he begged for alms to support his work, but his zeal for serving the sick drew support, and his order grew quickly. St. John died on March 8, 1550, after rescuing a young man from drowning. He was canonized in 1690.