December 17

Saint John of Matha was born on June 23, 1169, at Faucon-de-Barcelonnette on the borders of Provence, France, to noble parents, Euphemius and Martha. Educated as a young nobleman, he was known even in his youth for generosity to the poor and for serving the sick. He later studied theology at the University of Paris and was ordained a priest in 1192. Trinitarian tradition tells that at his first Mass in 1193, John received a striking vision of Christ beside two captives in chains, stirring in him a lifelong call to the work of mercy: the redemption of Christians held in slavery. Seeking deeper holiness, he turned to the hermit Felix of Valois, and together they journeyed to Rome. In 1198 Pope Innocent III approved their new community, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, dedicated to ransoming captives in the name of the Holy Trinity. John himself traveled as far as Tunisia to bring many enslaved Christians home, entrusting the Order’s needs to Mary under the title Our Lady of Good Remedy. He died in Rome on December 17, 1213. His feast day is December 17, and he is remembered in places such as DeMatha Catholic High School, named in his honor.