St. John Berchmans, Our Patron Saint
St. John Berchmans, son of Charles and Elizabeth Berchmans, was born in a small town in Belgium on March 13, 1599. John's father was a businessman who served both his church and community well. His mother worked hard for her family and instilled in John and his siblings a great
love for God and the Blessed Mother.
At the age of 10 he told his parents he wanted to be a priest. They sent him for three years to live and study with Fr. Peter. During that time he received his first Holy Communion, excelled in his school work and had fun acting in plays.
John left Fr. Peter's little school when his mother became seriously ill and his father's business was not good. He briefly worked as a servant in the rectory but because everyone wanted John to continue his education, it was arranged for him to go to another city where he attended the
Catholic high school and worked for the choirmaster of the cathedral. When the Jesuits opened a college, John spent an extremely active year there, studying hard and ranking first in his class. He divided his precious few moments between prayer and activities. He was never too busy
to hear God's call in his heart and on September 24th he entered the Jesuit seminary.
He was nicknamed "the Laughing Saint" by his colleagues because of his constant smile and merry laugh. He was noted for his conscientious attitude toward his studies and great respect for his teachers. After two years as a novice, John made his first vows as a Jesuit and at the age of 19 this promising scholar was sent to Rome to study. During the 2 1/2 years there he continued to do well in all his studies. At 22 he was chosen to represent the school in public debates with other colleges during the summer months. On August 6, although by this time he was sick and weak, he won his second debate. That very night he became seriously ill and knew he would soon die. After a week John was ready to meet his maker. He drew his final breath whispering, "Jesus, Mary," on August 13, 1621.
He is known as "The Saint of the Common Life," and the patron of acolytes or servers. He is also the Saint whose name and protection was given to our school and Parish - an example of an ordinary life lived in the love of God and our neighbor.