St. John of God Parish, Somerset MA
508-678-5513
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Biography of St. John of God (1495-1550)

Picture
St. John of God
Helper of the Sick
John left home at a young age and worked as a shepherd.  The man he worked for wanted him to marry his daughter but John wanted to find his way in the religious life.
John went through many tough times before he found what God wanted him to do.  He was a soldier in the Spanish army.  He worked loading ships and later selling books and holy pictures.  He even opened his own bookstore for a while.  But John began spending more and more time with the sick and the poor.
He was put in the hospital for a time and while he was there he helped others who were sick like him.  When he got out of the hospital, he decided to keep helping the sick and the poor.  He first worked helping the poor people living in the streets and later opened a house for the sick and the poor.  He begged on the streets for beds and medicine and food.
One night the hospital in the city caught on fire and he went and rescued all the patients who could not save themselves.  He passed through the flames without getting burned.  This is why John of God is one of the patron saints of firefighters as well as booksellers, hospitals and the sick.
His Feast day is March 8th..

Article from Miniature Stories of the Saints, Book 5
​By Fr. Daniel A. Lord, S.J.