John of the Cross

Saint John of the Cross OCD
Saint John of the Cross, by Zurbarán
Priest, Mystic, Doctor of the Church
Born	Juan de Yepes y Álvarez (1542-06-24)24 June 1542[1] Fontiveros, Ávila, Crown of Castile, Spanish monarchy
Died	14 December 1591(1591-12-14) (aged 49) Úbeda, Kingdom of Jaén, Crown of Castile, Spanish monarchy
Venerated in	Catholic Church Anglican Communion[2] Lutheranism[3]
Beatified	25 January 1675, Rome by Pope Clement X
Canonized	27 December 1726, Rome by Pope Benedict XIII
Major shrine	Tomb of Saint John of the Cross, Segovia, Spain
Feast	14 December
Attributes	Carmelite habit, cross, crucifix, book, quill
Patronage	Spanish poets,[4] mystics and contemplatives[5]
Influences	Likely Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Guillaume Durand, Teresa of Ávila Possibly Pseudo-Dionysius, Meister Eckhart, Ramon Llull, John of Ruysbroeck, Henry Suso, Johannes Tauler
Influenced	Thérèse de Lisieux Edith Stein T.S. Eliot Thomas Merton Jacques Maritain Hans Urs von Balthasar Dorothy Day Daniel Berrigan Philip Berrigan Georges Bataille Salvador Dalí John Paul II
Major works	Spiritual Canticle Dark Night of the Soul Ascent of Mount Carmel

St. John of the Cross OCD (Spanish: Juan de la Cruz; Latin: Ioannes a Cruce; born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friar of converso origin. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church.

John of the Cross is known for his writings. He was mentored by and corresponded with the older Carmelite Teresa of Ávila. Both his poetry and his studies on the development of the soul, particularly his Noche Obscura, are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and among the greatest works of all Spanish literature. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. In 1926, he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI, and is also known as the "mystical doctor".