Lentorama 2018: Second String Saints

Day 17 - John of Sahagun

Unlike many of our previous entries, quite a bit is known about the life of John. The oldest of seven children to a wealthy Spanish family, during his education he was introduced to the bishop of Burgos, who was impressed by John and educated him within his own home. John would quickly be ordained and given several different offices, most notably being made a canon of Burgos cathedral.

John was uncomfortable holding simultaneous titles (it being disallowed under canon law), and resigned them all in order to become the priest to a poor parish, where he could focus on preaching. During this time he became ill and required surgery (a daunting prospect in the 15th century) to remove kidney stones. He made a pledge to become a religious if he survived the operation, which he did.

At that point, John joined a monastery and would work his way up to become master of novices and then prior. He continued to preach, but was also said to have developed an ability to discern a person's conscience, making it nearly impossible to lie to him. His preaching also apparently brought him many enemies as he often preached against vices popular among the local gentry, with the former concubine of one of them (who had turned back towards God) allegedly poisoning John (though this looks to be a detail added well after John's death).

But for all of his apparent piety and the existence of a historical record, John got demoted for not being of universal importance. Not enough days in the calendar.