John Macias
Encyclopedia
Saint John Macías, (2 March 1585 Ribera del Fresno
, Extremadura
, Spain
– September 16, 1645, Lima
, Peru
), was a Spanish Dominican
religious laybrother and Catholic
saint who evangelized in Peru
in 1620. He was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI
. His main image is located at the main altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Lima and is venerated by the local laity in Peru. A church was built in his honor in 1970 in San Luis, Lima, Peru.
, Extremadura
which was under the jurisdiction of the Palencia
diocese to Pedro de Arcas y Juana Sánchez. It is not known why he changed his name. Orphaned at the age of four, he was reared by an uncle who trained him as a shepherd.
At the age of 25, he then started working with a wealthy businessman who offered him an opportunity to travel to South America. He first arrived at Cartagena de Indias Colombia
and then at Reino de Nueva Granada stopping by Pasto
and then Quito, Ecuador, in order to ultimately arrive at Perú
where he would remain for the rest of his life. His first course of action there in Lima was to observe the Order of Preachers, indicating an active interest in joining in order to serve God. This was an in line with a vision he had 20 years ago commanding him to travel to Peru.
Confident in his abilities and talents as a sheepherder, he worked with shepherds in the outskirts of the city and it was there where he began his life as a religious. His sense of piety eventually led him to part with all of his belongings and giving it all to the poor, did a lot of community service and supported the Dominicans where he approached the Dominican friary of Santa María Magdalena
where he was admitted as a cooperator brother on 23 January 1622 finally accepting the Dominican habit. One year later on 25 January 1623 he took his final vows.
St. John Macias, however, expressed a greater desire to spend more time in contemplative solitude rather than engage in conversational activities with others. He confessed this to Father Abbot Ramírez who said, “If he were to never follow his vow of obedience, nobody would have ever seen his face." But his official position as the friary's porter
, which he held for over 20 years and went against his natural inclinations of solitude, served to continue disciplining his vow of obedience. This filled him with a joyful sense of fulfillment. He died of natural causes in 1645.
Several miracles were attributed to him during his life and after his death which led to his ultimate canonization. He was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI
and canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI
His feast day is on September 18.
Ribera del Fresno
Ribera del Fresno is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. , the municipality has a population of 3,466 inhabitants.It is the hometown of friar Juan Macias....
, Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
– September 16, 1645, Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
), was a Spanish Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
religious laybrother and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
saint who evangelized in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in 1620. He was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. His main image is located at the main altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Lima and is venerated by the local laity in Peru. A church was built in his honor in 1970 in San Luis, Lima, Peru.
Biography
Saint John Macías was born Juan de Arcas Sanchez on 2 March 1585 in Ribera del FresnoRibera del Fresno
Ribera del Fresno is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. , the municipality has a population of 3,466 inhabitants.It is the hometown of friar Juan Macias....
, Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
which was under the jurisdiction of the Palencia
Palencia
Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon...
diocese to Pedro de Arcas y Juana Sánchez. It is not known why he changed his name. Orphaned at the age of four, he was reared by an uncle who trained him as a shepherd.
At the age of 25, he then started working with a wealthy businessman who offered him an opportunity to travel to South America. He first arrived at Cartagena de Indias Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and then at Reino de Nueva Granada stopping by Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
and then Quito, Ecuador, in order to ultimately arrive at Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
where he would remain for the rest of his life. His first course of action there in Lima was to observe the Order of Preachers, indicating an active interest in joining in order to serve God. This was an in line with a vision he had 20 years ago commanding him to travel to Peru.
Confident in his abilities and talents as a sheepherder, he worked with shepherds in the outskirts of the city and it was there where he began his life as a religious. His sense of piety eventually led him to part with all of his belongings and giving it all to the poor, did a lot of community service and supported the Dominicans where he approached the Dominican friary of Santa María Magdalena
María Magdalena
María Magdalena is a 1954 Argentine film....
where he was admitted as a cooperator brother on 23 January 1622 finally accepting the Dominican habit. One year later on 25 January 1623 he took his final vows.
Counsel to the rich and poor
At the friary, Saint John Macías's life was filled with fervent prayer, frequent penance and charity. As a result of his austerity, he quickly fell ill and had to have a risky surgery. Nevertheless, he continued to care for other sick and needy as they waited at the friary gates. Beggars, disabled people and other disadvantaged people were commonplace throughout Lima where they flocked to him at the friary gates for counsel and comfort. The wealthy upper classes were no strangers to St. John Macias; they also sought his counsel at the gates.St. John Macias, however, expressed a greater desire to spend more time in contemplative solitude rather than engage in conversational activities with others. He confessed this to Father Abbot Ramírez who said, “If he were to never follow his vow of obedience, nobody would have ever seen his face." But his official position as the friary's porter
Ostiarius
An ostiarius, a Latin word sometimes anglicized as Ostiary but often literally translated as porter or doorman, originally was a servant or guard posted at the entrance of a building. See also gatekeeper....
, which he held for over 20 years and went against his natural inclinations of solitude, served to continue disciplining his vow of obedience. This filled him with a joyful sense of fulfillment. He died of natural causes in 1645.
Veneration
An annual public procession also takes place in Peru every third Sunday of November in Lima. His image, along with that of the more famous Saint Martin of Porres (his friend and contemporary) are paraded around the streets and venerated by the faithful of Peru.Several miracles were attributed to him during his life and after his death which led to his ultimate canonization. He was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
and canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
His feast day is on September 18.