St. John of God
St. John of God was chosen by Bishop Furlong as the patron of the Congregation. The Sisters were inspired and challenged by his example of commitment to the care of the poor and vulnerable people of his time. His life continues to inspire us today and offers us a powerful example of one person's practical expression of compassionate love.
John was born in Portugal in 1495. Very little is known of his early years except that he served in the army of the King of Spain. He arrived in Granada in 1538 where he settled and spent his life caring for the poor people of the city.
He became widely known and revered for his love and compassion for people and he inspired many others to do likewise. Having made his home in Granada, John earned a meagre living as a bookseller on the streets and shared the misery of the people on the lowest scale of life. These people were often disregarded by society but John showed great compassion for them and often went to such lengths to care for them that he was considered by many people to be insane. Because of this he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he encountered first hand the terrible conditions endured by people suffering mental illness.
This experience drew him into a close, personal relationship with God and on his release from hospital he placed himself at the service of the abandoned people who were dying of cold and illness in the city of Granada.
He internalised and lived the words of the Gospel 'I was hungry and you fed me, I was sick and you took care of me…' (Mt . 25:35)
He died in 1550 without having founded a religious order but some of his followers founded the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God.