St. John Chrysostom

Quote: “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.”

Patronage: Constantinople, education, epilepsy, lecturers, public speakers, preachers

Feast Day: 13th of September (RCC)/14th of September (EOC)

Venerated in: Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, Church of the East, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism

Known for: being an outstanding public speaker, earning the name “Golden Mouthed”, for being the Patriarch of Constantinople, and for composing the liturgy of St John Chrysostom, which is still in use in Orthodox churches to this day.

Life: St John was born sometime in 347AD in Antioch, Syria to a Christian mother and a high-ranking officer. He studied law but then changed to studying theology. Throughout his life he showed great care for the oppressed and persecuted. He also showed great knowledge of his specialty, eventually rising to the rank of Patriarch. After rising to this high position, he continued to preach his sermons and continued to tackle misuse of riches, much to the dismay of the wealthy and influential. In 403 he was called for a synod meeting, with the aim of indicting John on many false accounts. He, however, did not show up and eventually got banished by the Emperor Arcadius. He appealed this to Pope Innocent I, Bishop of Rome, but his efforts would prove to be in vain, and he ended up dying in exile. This story not only shows an example of unnecessary persecution being endured for Christ’s sake, but it also displays how East and West can work together.