Hello and welcome to St. Stories for Kids, a weekly podcast full of fun

stories and facts about the holy men and women that have come before us. I'm your

host, Chanthal Varos. St. Stories for Kids is brought to you by Shining Light Dolls.

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Today we'll be telling the story of St John of God, whose feast is celebrated on March 8th.

St. John of God was also born on March 8th in 1495 in Portugal.

St. John spent the first half of his life as a soldier and traveler,

without any real attachments to any certain

place. When St John was in his 40s he heard a sermon while in Spain that moved him so deeply

he converted and changed his entire life. Then while on a pilgrimage to visit

Our Lady of Guadalupe, the one in extra Madura, Spain, he saw a vision of Mary that encouraged

John to work with the poor. He began caring for sick poor people and

eventually formed an order now known as the Brothers Hospitlers of St John of God.

This order is entrusted with the medical care of the Pope and has hospitals and centers in

over 53 countries around the world. Saint John O'Gad is the patron saint of

hospitals, nurses, the mentally ill, and the dying. Now it's time for our story.

The sun had already set and a light drizzle began to fall as St John made his way home through the sleepy city.

Most of the people in town had already eaten their

suppers and gone off to sleep in their nice warm beds. But St John had just

finished collecting alms, mostly food but also some medical supplies to take back to his little hospital for the poor.

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