St. John Of Avila

Ø  Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 October 2012 Ø  Saint John of Ávila, called the "Apostle of Andalusia" Ø  He was a Spanish priest, preacher, scholastic author, and religious mystic
Born	6 January 1499 at Almodovar del Campo (Ciudad Real), Toledo, New Castile, Spain
Died	10 May 1569 at Montilla, Spain of natural causes
Venerated	8 February 1759 by Pope Clement XIII (decree of heroic virtues)
Beatified	4 April 1894 by Pope Leo XIII
Canonized	31 May 1970 by Pope Paul VI
Feast	10th May
Patronage	Andalusia, Spain, Spanish secular clergy

He was born on 6 January 1499 or 1500 in Almodóvar del Campo (Ciudad Real, in the Archdiocese of Toledo). He was the only son of devout Christian parents, Alonso Ávila and Catalina Gijón, who were wealthy and of high social standing.   When John was fourteen years old, he was sent to study law at the prestigious University of Salamanca. He left his studies at the end of the fourth term, after a profound experience of conversion. This prompted him to return home to devote himself to meditation and prayer.   Following the death of his parents, he liquidated most of his large fortune, and gave it to the poor. Ordained in 1525. He wanted to be a missionary in the West Indies and Mexico, but became a travelling preacher in Andalusia for 40 years, re-evangelizing a region previously ruled by the Moors.   He spoke boldly against the sins of the ruling classes, made powerful enemies, and at one point was imprisoned in Seville, Spain by the Inquisition, accused of false teachings; the charges were dismissed, John was released, and his preaching became more popular than ever.   Spiritual director of Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Francis Borgia, Saint John of God, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Peter of Alcántara, and Saint Louis of Granada.   From early 1551 John was the victim of constant ill-health. He spent the last years of his life in semi-retirement in the town of Montilla in the Province of Córdoba. He died there on 10 May 1569, and in accordance with his wishes was buried in that city, in the Jesuit Church of the Incarnation, which now serves as the sanctuary to his memory.   Blessed John of Avila's works were collected at Madrid in 1618, 1757, 1792, 1805; a French translation by d'Andilly was published at Paris in 1673; and a German translation by Schermer in six volumes was issued at Ratisbon between 1856 and 1881. His best known works are the "Audi Fili" (English translation, 1620), one of the best tracts on Christian perfection, and his "Spiritual Letters" (English translation, 1631, London, 1904) to his disciples.   Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 October 2012.