John Berchmans
1599-1621
FEAST AUGUST 13
The patron saint of altar servers, from Flanders, John wanted to be a priest from an early age. He was the son of a shoemaker and began priestly studies with the Jesuits at 17. Drawn to simple devotions like praying before a crucifix and saying the rosary, he rose to the top of his class and was sent to the Jesuit college in Rome. His spiritual model was his fellow Jesuit St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and he was influenced by the example of the English Jesuit martyrs. He finished philosophy studies early, and won a debate with another college. But the day after his victory he fell ill and died at just 22, already known for his holiness in everyday living. It was his realistic appreciation for the value of ordinary things, a characteristic of the Flemish mystical tradition, that constituted his holiness.