What is John of the Cross birthday?

John of the Cross was born at 1542-06-24

When was John of the Cross died?

John of the Cross was died at 1591-12-14

Where was John of the Cross died?

John of the Cross was died in Úbeda

Which age was John of the Cross died?

John of the Cross was died at age 49

Where is John of the Cross's birth place?

John of the Cross was born in Fontiveros

What is John of the Cross nationalities?

John of the Cross's nationalities is Spanish

Who is John of the Cross siblings?

John of the Cross's siblings is Francisco de Yepes Álvarez, Luis de Yepes Álvarez

What was John of the Cross universities?

John of the Cross studied at University of Salamanca

Which company or organization was founded by John of the Cross?

John of the Cross was the founder/co-founder of Discalced Carmelites

What is John of the Cross's religion?

John of the Cross's religion is Catholicism

Who is John of the Cross's father?

John of the Cross's father is Gonzalo de Yepes

Who is John of the Cross's mother?

John of the Cross's mother is Catalina Álvarez

How famous is John of the Cross?

John of the Cross is famouse as Roman Catholic Saint

John of the Cross - Roman Catholic Saint, Timeline and Life

Home › Spanish › John of the CrossJune 24, 1542353 views

John of the Cross Biography Stories Embed this Biography stories

Table of contents

Personal Details
Photo
Overview
Timeline
FAQ

Cancer Celebrities Spanish Leaders Spiritual & Religious Leaders

John of the Cross's Personal Details

Information	Detail
Birthday	June 24, 1542
Died on	December 14, 1591
Nationality	Spanish
Famous	Leaders, Spiritual & Religious Leaders, Religious Leaders, Roman Catholic Saint, Spiritual
Siblings	Francisco de Yepes Álvarez, Luis de Yepes Álvarez
Universities	University of Salamanca
Founder / Co-Founder	Discalced Carmelites
Birth Place	Fontiveros
Religion	Catholicism
Gender	Male
Father	Gonzalo de Yepes
Mother	Catalina Álvarez
Sun Sign	Cancer
Born in	Fontiveros
Famous as	Roman Catholic Saint
Died at Age	49

// Famous Spiritual

Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad was the founder of Islam, one of the most widespread religions in the world. This biography profiles his childhood, life story, achievements and more.

Murad IV

Murad IV was one of the mighty Sultans in the history of the Ottoman Empire. This biography profiles his childhood, family, accession, rule, administration and timeline.

Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is a well-known spiritual leader, and author. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, personal life, spiritual awakening, etc.

Who is John of the Cross?

St. John of the Cross, born as Juan de Yepes y Álvarez, was a Roman Catholic saint who was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation. He was also a renowned mystic and a Carmelite friar who is considered, along with Saint Teresa of Ávila, as a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. Born into a family of descendents of Jewish converts to Christianity, John endured a very difficult childhood. He lost his father early on in his life and grew up in abject poverty. Another tragedy befell his family when his brother also died. His mother worked hard to raise her remaining children and took them to Medina del Campo, where she was able to find work weaving. John was sent to a school for poor children where he studied Christian doctrine and also served as acolyte at a nearby monastery of Augustinian nuns. On growing up he studied the humanities at a Jesuit school and went on to enter the Carmelite Order, adopting the name John of St. Matthias. He was eventually ordained a priest. The celebrated mystic, St. Teresa of Ávila solicited his help in the restoration of Carmelite life to its original observance of austerity, and together they became the founders of the Discalced Carmelites. St. John was also a poet and holds an important position in Spanish literature.

Childhood & Early Life

Juan de Yepes y Álvarez was born in 1542, in Fontiveros, Ávila, Spain. His father, Gonzalo originally hailed from a well-to-do family, but when he married Catalina, a poor orphan girl of a lower class, his family rejected him. Thus John was born into poverty.

His father died when John was a young boy, driving the family into destitution. Catalina struggled to raise her children all alone. Another tragedy befell the family when one of John’s brothers died of probable malnourishment a couple of years later.

His desperate mother took John and his surviving brother Francisco to Medina del Campo in 1551 where she was able to find work weaving. John was sent to a school for poor children where he received a basic education mainly in Christian doctrine. He became interested in religion while he was a student and was chosen to serve as acolyte at a nearby monastery of Augustinian nuns.

On growing up he studied the humanities at a Jesuit school from 1559 to 1563. He also worked at a hospital. In 1563, he entered the Carmelite Order, adopting the name John of St. Matthias.

Later Years

St. John of the Cross professed his religious vows as a Carmelite in 1564 and travelled to Salamanca, where he studied theology and philosophy at the university there. John was ordained a priest in 1567. His initial plan was to join the strict Carthusian Order, which appealed to him because of its encouragement of solitary and silent contemplation.

However, he changed his mind after a trip to Medina del Campo in September 1567. He met the Carmelite nun Teresa of Jesus who was in Medina to found the second of her convents for women. She told him of her plans to restore the purity of the Carmelite Order by restarting observance of its "Primitive Rule" of 1209 which had been relaxed by Pope Eugene IV in 1432.

Teresa asked him to join her in the restoration. After completing his studies in Salamanca, he joined Teresa and travelled with her from Medina to Valladolid in August 1568. Teresa intended to found another monastery of nuns in Valladolid. During his stay with Teresa, John learned more about the form of Carmelite life.

In October 1568, John, accompanied by Friar Antonio de Jesús de Heredia, left Valladolid to found a new monastery for friars, the first for men following Teresa's principles. The new monastery was established on 28 November 1568 and on that same day John changed his name to John of the Cross.

John went on to set up a new community at Pastrana (October 1570), and a community at Alcalá de Henares, which was to be a house of studies for the academic training of the friars.

In 1572, Teresa invited him to Avila and he became the spiritual director and confessor for Teresa who was now prioress of the Monastery of the Visitation.

In 1574, John accompanied Teresa in the foundation of a new monastery in Segovia and returned to Avila soon after.

The reforms of Teresa and John, however, led to tensions among the Spanish Carmelite friars. On the night of 2 December 1577, John was abducted from his dwelling in Ávila by a group of Carmelites opposed to reform. He was made a prisoner in Carmelite monastery in Toledo, at that time the Order's most important monastery in Castile.

He was kept under brutal conditions and subjected to routine physical torture. He was kept isolated in a tiny stifling cell measuring ten feet by six feet and publicly lashed before the community at least weekly. Fed a very poor diet, and not even given a change of clothes, his physical health suffered greatly. But he held fast to his faith and focused on writing poems even under these terrible circumstances.

On 15 August 1578, he somehow managed to escape by prying open the cell door. It took him several weeks to regain his health following which he became active in reform again. In October 1578 he joined a meeting at Almodóvar del Campo of the supporters of reform and was appointed superior of El Calvario.

In 1579, he became the rector of a new college, the Colegio de San Basilio, to support the studies of Discalced friars in Andalusia. He held this post until 1582. He was made the prior at the friars' monastery of Los Martires, beside the Alhambra in March 1582.

Continuing the reform even after Teresa’s death, he established a monastery of Discalced nuns in Málaga in 1585. The same year, he was elected Provincial Vicar of Andalusia. In this position, he travelled widely and founded seven new monasteries in the region. In 1588, he returned to Castile as prior of the house of Segovia and as councilor of the provincial.

Major Works

During his imprisonment, St. John of the Cross wrote several brilliant poems, including ‘Cántico espiritual’ (“The Spiritual Canticle”), ‘Noche oscura del alma’ (“The Dark Night of the Soul”), and ‘Llama de amor viva’ (“The Living Flame of Love”). Of these, ‘Noche oscura’ is regarded as his best known work. The poem is an intense description of the process by which the soul sheds its attachment to everything and eventually passes through a personal experience of Christ’s Crucifixion to his glory.

Personal Life & Legacy

St. John of the Cross died of erysipelas on 14 December 1591.

He was canonized in 1726 and pronounced a Doctor of the Church in 1926.

// Famous Religious Leaders