Baring-Gould’s sources: Canonised in 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII. His Office was inserted in the Roman Breviary as a double, by order of Benedict XIII. Authority A Spanish life, written in 1498, by B. John of Seville, an Augustinian. He derived his information partly from the brother of the saint, and from others who had seen and known him.] John of Sagahun, or John of S. Fecundh, as he is also called, was the eldest son of honourable and wealthy parents at Sagahun, in Spain. His father’s name was John Gonzales de Castrillo, his mother’s, Sanchia Martinez. He was their only child, bora after sixteen years of married June i a.) S. John of Sagahun.
…life without offspring, in the year 1430, on the feast of S. John the Baptist. Whilst still a child, his father obtained for him a benefice, according to the scandalous abuse of the time in Spain, in France, and elsewhere, where the benefices were often given to laymen, who appointed curates with small pay to perform the spiritual duties, whilst they enjoyed the revenues.
But as the boy grew older, his conscience reproached him, and he remonstrated with his father, who scoffed at his qualms of conscience. His uncle, John Alfonso, who was present, rebuked him sharply for thinking of resigning a lucrative endowment for an idle scruple. His uncle introduced him to the Bishop of Burgos, who took a fancy to the intelligent and high-spirited youth, heaped on him prebends, and ordained him. But again his conscience pricked him, and he asked the bishop’s leave to go away. “ What 1” said the prelate, “ have I not given you enough? Well, on the next vacancy, I will give you a canonry.” John assured him that this was not his desire, and resigning his prebends and benefices into the hands of the bishop, he retained only the incumbency of the parish church of S. Agnes, in Burgos. He did not long retain this, for he went to Salamanca, to study theology for four years, after which he was called to preach in the church of S. Sebastian, in that city, and this he did with great success. When he was aged thirty-three, he was forced to undergo an operation for the stone, and he then made a vow that, if his life were preserved, he would become a religious. As soon as he was able to walk, he went to a house of Augustinian [religious following the Rule of St. Augustine] Canons, in Salamanca, and asked to be received into the order. When his friends remonstrated, he said, “ God alone knows what has passed between Him and my soul” He was gladly received. [June xa.
and was almost immediately employed as master of the novices. His character now deepened, love to God burnt within him with that fire which kindles a flame in other hearts, and he began to exercise a very remarkable power over other souls. His fervour towards the Blessed Sacrament was remarkable. He remained kneeling in his place after matins, before dawn, till it was time for him to say mass, preparing his soul for the Divine gift And to one so pure of heart, and so burning with love, the veil which to carnal eyes is drawn across that mystery was partly lifted, and he saw the sacred Host shining with dazzling light, and contemplated therein the five wounds. But he said nothing of this to any one. Only he was so slow in saying mass that great complaint was made, and he was forbidden by his superior to celebrate. He bore this privation for a long time with great patience, but with inward suffering, and at last, unable to endure it longer, he besought the superior's permission to say mass again. “ No, you are too slow." “ But I have a just impediment, which hinders me from being rapid.” The superior was obdurate; then only did the saint reveal the favours God accorded him when he sacrificed. The prohibition was instantly removed.
People began to whisper that John of Sagahun performed miracles, and the story was noised abroad that when a child had fallen into a well, he had laid his girdle on the edge of the well, and the waters had risen, so that he had drawn the child out, uninjured.
In preaching S. John was bold in attacking sin, and he said that the honeyed words and smooth platitudes wherewith preachers discoursed would cut no hearts to the quick, but were base coin, betrayals of the Cross. This boldness drew down on him many enemies. One noble June za.] £ John of Sagahun, man sent assassins to murder John, but the men had not the courage to strike the blow, overcome by the serenity and angelic sweetness of the countenance of their intended victim. But having preached vehemently against extravagance in dress, the women of Salamanca broke out into defiant rebellion, and pelted him with stones. He was only rescued from their hands by a patrol of guards. He preached also very energetically against impurity. His sermons, and more still, his determined conduct in seeking out poor girls who had fallen, and addressing himself to young men, wrought a great improvement in Salamanca. His vehemence in this matter is said to have brought about his death. There was a nobleman of authority in the city who lived with a woman to whom he was not married, and his high position in Salamanca caused his example to be especially injurious, besides being a public scandaL No one had dared to interfere, till John undauntedly sought the gentleman out, and in his plain, unvarnished language, exposed to him the offence he was committing in the sight of God and of men, as well as the injury he was doing to his immortal soul. His words produced their effect, and the gentleman at once dismissed his companion, and endeavoured to lead a more virtuous life. But the woman vowed she would be the death of the saint, and as he was attacked shortly after with a lingering disorder, which wasted his strength so that he died, it was popularly believed that he had been poisoned. But it is necessaiy to add that this suspicion is not mentioned in the life by John of Seville, and only appears in later editions to his history.
His relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor] have been dispersed among a great number of churches of his order, some in Peru. In art he is represented holding a chalice, with a Host surrounded by a halo, or rays above it
