John Berchmans
John Berchmans | |
|---|---|
| Jesuit Scholastic and Saint | |
| Born | 13 March 1599 Diest, Seventeen Provinces (now Diest, Belgium) |
| Died | 13 August 1621 (aged 22) Rome, Papal States |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 28 May 1865 |
| Canonized | 15 January 1888 |
| Major shrine | Sant'Ignazio |
| Feast | 26 November (after 1969) 13 August (until 1969) |
| Attributes | Often depicted with hands clasped, holding his crucifix, his book of rules, and his rosary. |
| Patronage | |
John Berchmans, SJ (Dutch: Jan Berchmans [jɑm ˈbɛr(ə)xmɑns]; 13 March 1599 – 13 August 1621) was a Belgian Jesuit scholastic and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church.
In 1615, the Jesuits opened a college at Mechelen, Belgium and Berchmans was one of the first to enroll. His spiritual model was his fellow Jesuit Aloysius Gonzaga, and he was influenced by the example of the English Jesuit martyrs. Berchmans is the patron saint of altar servers, Jesuit scholastics, and students.