Doctor of the Church
Saint John of the Cross
Patron of mystics, contemplative life, Spanish poets
Feast day: December 14
Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), Discalced Carmelite priest, poet, and mystic. Co-founder with St. Teresa of Avila of the reformed Carmelite Order. Author of The Dark Night of the Soul, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, and The Spiritual Canticle. Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1926.
