St. John Berchmans (1599-1621)
Image Courtesy: St. Paul Street Evangelization
(EWTN) Born in Belgium, Province of Brabant, John was the eldest of five siblings, growing up in an atmosphere of political turmoil caused by a religious war between the Catholics and Protestant sections of the Netherlands. — John would study at the Jesuit College at Malines according to SQPN and worked as a Servant in the household of Canon John Froymont, in order to continue his studies. John’s hopes and ambitions were to one day help and teach bilingual migrants, so he would go on to study all of the chief languages of Europe.
John was an ambitious, energetic student and became a leader among all the other students — St. Aloysius Gonzaga (Feast Day: 21 June) became John’s spiritual model and he was influenced in his life as well by the example of Jesuit English Martyrs.
It was John’s realistic appreciation for the value of ordinary things, a characteristic of the Flemish (Dutch language; One of the two official languages spoken in Belgium) traditions which constituted John’s holiness. John was affable, kind and endowed with an outgoing personality that endeared him to everyone.
In 1618 John was sent to Rome to continue his studies in philosophy, he was known as an exceptional student. John would request to become an Army Chaplain following his Ordination however by the Summer of 1619 the intense heat of Rome began affecting his health and he began to progressively become weak.
John’s physicians could not determine what was wrong with him and for the next two years, John would require continual medical treatment and care. By the Summer of 1621 it was becoming clear that John’s final days were just before him and he died peacefully soon thereafter. Many miracles were attributed to his intercessory prayers at the time of his funeral in August 1621
John was Beatified in 1865 by Pope Pius IX and Canonized in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII
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