See Also: John of the Cross, Saint(encyclopedia)
Saint John's Saint Francis Hospital(health)
John, Saint(dictionary)
Saint John(tourism)
Saint John(health)
Saint John's(encyclopedia)
Saint John's(tourism)
Saint John(encyclopedia)
Saint John Capesterre(tourism)
Saint John Figtree(tourism)

John of the Cross, Saint (sh)




Spanish San Juan de la Cruz orig. Juan de Yepes y alvarez

born June 24, 1542, Fontiveros, Spain
died Dec. 14, 1591, Ubeda; canonized 1726; feast day December 14

Spanish mystic, poet, Doctor of the Church, and reformer of monasticism.

He became a Carmelite monk at Medina del Campo and was ordained a priest in 1567. Joining St. Teresa of avila in her effort to restore the Carmelites to their original austerity, he cofounded the Discalced Carmelite order in 1568. He opened the first Discalced Carmelite monastery at Duruelo a year later, but reform caused friction within the order and led to his imprisonment at Toledo. He escaped in 1578 and later won high office in the order. In his great mystical poetry, including "The Dark Night of the Soul," he traced the steps of the soul's ascent to union with God.