St. John Berchmans

"Our true worth does not consist in what human beings think of us. What we really are consists in what God knows us to be."
- St. John Berchmans (1599 - 1621)

Today is the feast day of St. John Berchmans. John was born in 1599 in Diest, Brabant, Belgium. When he was young he loved being an altar server and was very devout. He decided at the age of 13 that he wanted to become a priest. After his mother passed away, his father and 2 brothers entered religious life; his father later became a priest. John entered the Jesuits when he was 16. He studied at the Jesuit College in Malines, and after that went to Rome to study philosophy in 1618. He died in Rome, Italy, in 1621 before he was ordained a priest. He was canonized in 1888. He was known for his piety, perseverance, and perfection in little things. He is the patron saint of altar servers and youth. 

St. John Berchmans, pray for us!

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Picture Of And Information About St. John Taken From:

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=454

http://www.torchhomeschooling.org/print.php?article=501

http://catholicmemories.blogspot.com/2012/08/to-altar-boy.html