December 23: Saint John of Kęty
A teacher in the service of the poor
Born around 1390 in Kęty, in Poland near Kraków, John showed exceptional intelligence from a young age: at just twenty-seven years of age he was already teaching philosophy. In 1416 he was ordained a priest and almost immediately entrusted with the direction of the school attached to the Monastery of the Holy Sepulchre in Miechów. He remained there for about eight years, until 1429, when he returned to the University of Kraków.
In the city’s prestigious academic environment he held several positions: initially a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts, then, between 1432 and 1438, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy. After obtaining the baccalaureate in theology, he also began teaching that subject as an ordinary lecturer. For a brief period he was appointed cantor-prelate of the collegiate church of St. Florian—a post that entailed the leadership of the parish—but he renounced the appointment, considering it unjust to retain economic benefits he could not merit through direct and constant service.
His life alternated between study, teaching and long devotional journeys: he went to Rome four times, always traveling on foot, and also made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, reaching Jerusalem by walking as much of the journey as possible. Despite his commitment to university life, he did not neglect the poor: he sought them out personally in the most hidden places, sharing with them what he had and often depriving himself of necessities in order to help them.
John died on December 24, 1473, leaving behind a legacy of extraordinary charity and moral integrity. Popular veneration at his tomb in the Church of St. Anne in Kraków contributed to his reputation for holiness. He was beatified by Innocent XII in 1690 and canonized by Clement XIII in 1767, thanks also to the support of scholars from the University of Kraków. Today he is regarded as the patron saint of seminarians and of those who dedicate their lives to theological study.
During his visit to Kraków on June 9, 1979, John Paul II fondly recalled this “holy professor,” also associated with the Church of St. Florian, where the future pope, Karol Wojtyła, began his ministry as a young vicar in 1949.