John of Matha

Infobox Saint
name=Saint John of Matha
birth_date=birth date|1160|6|23|mf=y
death_date=death date and age|1213|12|17|1160|6|23|mf=y
feast_day=February 8
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=250px
caption=Statues of Felix of Valois and John of Matha. Charles Bridge, Prague.
birth_place=Faucon in Provence
death_place=Rome
titles=Confessor; Founder of the Trinitarians
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=
prayer=
prayer_attrib=

Saint John of Matha was a Christian saint of the 12th century and founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. He was born on June 23, 1160 at Faucon in Provence, France. As a youth, he was educated at Aix-en-Provence, and later studied theology at the University of Paris. While in Paris, he was urged by a vision during his first mass to dedicate his life to the service of the captive Christian slaves. He offered service to and was instructed by the hermit, St. Felix of Valois, in the region of Soissons, and went to Rome with him in 1197.

On December 17, 1198, he obtained the preliminary approval of Pope Innocent III for a new order dedicated in honour of the Blessed Trinity for the redemption of Christian captives. This order was fully approved in 1209. The Order of the Most Holy Trinity's first monastery was established at Cerfroid (just north of Paris) and the second at Rome. Christian slaves were first rescued by the Order in 1201. In 1202 and 1210 John travelled to Tunisia himself and brought back countless Christian slaves.

St. John of Matha died on December 17, 1213 in Rome. In 1655, his relics were transferred from Rome to Madrid. His cultus was approved in 1665 and his feast day is February 8.

External links

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06033c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: "St. Felix of Valois"]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15045d.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: "Order of Trinitarians"]

References

* Holweck, F. G., "A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints". 1924.