St. John XXIII
Pope, Convoker of the Second Vatican Council
Feast Day: October 11
Biography
St. John XXIII (1881–1963) was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo, to a large family of sharecroppers. Ordained a priest in 1904, he served as secretary to the bishop of Bergamo and, during World War I, as a medical orderly and military chaplain. He spent nearly two decades as a papal diplomat in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece, where during World War II he helped Jewish refugees escape the Nazis. He then served as nuncio to France and, from 1953, as cardinal patriarch of Venice. Elected pope on October 28, 1958, at nearly seventy-seven, he was expected to be a caretaker. Instead, within months he announced an ecumenical council. The Second Vatican Council opened on October 11, 1962, the date now chosen for his feast. His encyclicals Mater et Magistra (1961) and Pacem in Terris (1963), addressed to 'all men of good will,' shaped Catholic social teaching on justice and peace. Known for his humor, simplicity, and pastoral warmth, he died of cancer on June 3, 1963, while the Council was still in session. He was beatified in 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014, together with Pope St. John Paul II.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. John XXIII, good shepherd, you opened the windows of the Church so that the light of Christ might reach the whole world. Pray for peace among nations and unity among Christians. Help me to meet others with kindness, humor, and humility, and to trust that God can do new things through me at any age. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. John XXIII, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. John XXIII, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.