Saint of the day June 12: San Juan de Sahagún. Catholic Saints

Every June 11, the memory of San Juan de Sahagún, Spanish hermit and preacher of the Order of Hermits of San Agustín, who lived in the 15th century, is celebrated. He was declared, in 1688, ‘Sole Patron of Salamanca’ (Spain) by Pope Innocent XI. The beautiful city, according to tradition, was freed from the plague of black typhus thanks to the intercession of the religious saint.

First priest

Juan González Martínez – the saint’s first name – was born in the municipality of Sahagún (Spain), in 1430. He was the son of Juan González del Castrillo and Sancha Martínez, a couple with a great fortune. His education was carried out by the monks of the monastery of San Benito de Sahagún. As he demonstrated an inclination towards the priestly life, he received authorization from the bishop of Burgos to study theology.

Juan was ordained a priest in 1454, at the age of 23, after which he was appointed secretary and canon of the cathedral of Burgos. Four years later, he would complete his studies at the University of Salamanca.

The great promise

At the end of 1462 or beginning of 1463, he fell ill. The doctors recommended that he undergo surgery – in those days, any surgical procedure involved incalculable risk, considering, to begin with, that not even the diagnoses were reliable. Juan, with fear, entrusted himself to the Lord and promised him that if he survived the treatment, he would seek with renewed desire to fulfill his will. The surgery ended well and Father Juan recovered.

One of the things the priest had been considering while he was sick was becoming religious. Now, healthy and strong again, he soon set out on the path of discernment. Thus, on June 28, 1463, he was granted the Augustinian habit in the famous convent of San Agustín de Salamanca. A year later he joined the Order through solemn profession.

John became an eloquent preacher and helped many people with his sermons. The courage that he showed in the pulpit touched the hearts of many: poor and rich recognized themselves as sinners, all challenged by that which separated them from God. On the other hand, whenever Juan learned of some injustice, he denounced it without shame – as when he learned of the mistreatment of some wealthy families towards their servants and workers – earning the respect of locals and strangers.

His favorites were the orphans, the sick, the needy and the elderly, for whom he collected alms and sought refuge. For women who suffered some type of abuse, such as those trapped in prostitution, he found decent families who would give them healthy occupations and protect them.

The miracles

Two miracles are remembered from San Juan de Sahagún in Salamanca. The first occurred when a child fell into a deep well and the saint threw his girdle to save him. The cingulum reached where the child was, but the little boy no longer had the strength to hold on to it. Then, the saint prayed to God to raise the water level and it did, so that the child reached the surface. People began to shout “Miracle! Miracle!”, but he hid so as not to cause any further commotion.

The second miracle happened when a very brave bull escaped and began to run through the streets of Salamanca, terrifying the people. Father Juan stopped him and tamed him, saying: “Hold on, you fool.” He is also credited with the fact that, with his prayers, he managed to rid Salamanca of the black typhus plague.

innocent victim

Our saint died of poisoning at the age of 49, in 1479. It is said that he was the victim of a conspiracy arranged by an adulterous woman full of hatred against him because her lover left her after listening to one of his sermons.

Saint John of Sahagún was beatified by Pope Clement VIII in 1601 and then canonized by Pope Alexander VIII in 1691. The iconography usually represents him with the Eucharist in his hand, contemplating Jesus Sacramented.

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