St. John of the Cross

Saint John of the Cross or San Juan de la Cruz (24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Carmelite mystic and poet. He is our Holy Father. He is the cofounder with Saint Theresa of the order of Discalced Carmelites.

Saint John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain in 1542. He became a Carmelite monk at Medina del Campo, Spain, in 1563 and was ordained priest in 1567. St. John of the Cross is a spiritual master and Doctor of the Church.

Saint John of the Cross grew up in poverty and was drawn to the contemplative life. His soul longed for mystical union with God.

December 14 is the liturgical memorial of Saint John of the Cross who was locked in a cell six feet wide and ten feet long for nine months, with no light except that which filtered through a slit high. This happened because of a misunderstanding within the Carmelite Order.

He was a major figure in the Catholic Reformation. He was beatified in 1675 and canonized in 1726.

December 14 is one of the principal feast days of the Discalced Carmelite Order, the Solemnity of Our Holy Father John of the Cross

In the writings of St. John of the Cross, one of the greatest mystics in history, thousands of people have found a path for drawing closer to God.

John of the Cross is also one of the greatest poets in Spanish literature.