Saint John of the Cross

He was born in 1542 in the province of Ávila (Spain). After the death of his father, the family had to emigrate to Medina del Campo. He enters the school of doctrine, being acolyte of the Augustinians of the Magdalena, where he met don Alonso Álvarez de Toledo who put him in the hospital of the conception and payed for his studies for priesthood. The Jesuits founded in 1551 his school and there studied humanities. They ordered him priest in 1567. Then there took place his encounter with Mother Teresa in the homes of Blas Medina. he initiates his barefoot Carmelite life in Duruelo life and changes his name, adopting John of the Cross. He passes a year and a half of austerity, joy, silent prayer and a poor home among the oaks. Then, expansion is inevitable, claiming their presence in Mansehra, Pastrana and Alcalá college studies, he had begun spreading the Carmelite spirit. The nun Teresa wanted and searched for learned confessors for her nuns, now has bare confessors who understand because they live the same spirit. For five years he is John the Confessor of the convent of the Incarnation at Avila. The confidence that one reformer has in the other-though possibly did not get to know all the depth of his soul- will be revealed in the expressions used to refer to him call him "little seneca" to refer to his science, "sainttico Fray Juan "when speaking of his holiness, foreseeing that" his little bones will work miracles." He would die in 1591.