Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/December 14

John of the Cross (Spanish: Juan de la Cruz; Latin: Ioannes a Cruce; né Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friar. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the 38 Doctors of the Church.

Influenced by the older Carmelite nun Teresa of Ávila, he joined the Carmelite Order and was instrumental in the founding of the Discalced Carmelites, who wished to return to the stricter observances of the original Carmelite rule. (Full article...)
Prayer: Saint John of the Cross, in the darkness of your worst moments, when you were alone and persecuted, you found God. Help me to have faith that God is there especially in the times when God seems absent and far away. Amen
Attributes: -
Patronage: Contemplative life; contemplatives; mystical theology; mystics; Spanish poets
See also: Nimatullah Kassab, Lebanon