Juan Francisco Regis

Biography

Son of a family of merchants and very fervent Christians. As a child he was very attentive, helpful and very dedicated to the Church, he never tired of praying. He was ordained a Jesuit priest in Toulouse, France. He carried out his ministry in Puy, the traditional jurisdiction of the Calvinists, where they called him “the saint”, because although his attire was humble, with a fallen and patched cassock, and his oratory not very brilliant, the sanctity of his life made his simple words irresistible. He dedicated long periods of time to preaching and confession, visiting the most remote places in the region, where a priest was rarely seen, and converted many heretics. He healed the sick and the Lord gave him the gift of performing miracles. He discovered the great value of pain and suffering by embracing him and all who suffered. Of which he used to say: "Suffering for Jesus Christ is the only consolation I find in this world. Lord, give me strength to be able to suffer more and more for your love. In his own words he tells us about his life: “My life, what is it for if not to sacrifice it for souls? How could I prove my love for God, if I do not offer what is most valued in this world, health and life? Life would not be pleasant to me if I did not have something to lose for Jesus Christ. I feel a very strong desire to go to the mansions of the Iroquois and offer my life for the salvation of those savages.”