Saint John of Cologne

During a time when faith was being pushed out of the public sphere and the culture had grown increasingly hostile toward priests and Catholics who upheld the importance of the sacramental life, fifteen priests (most of them Franciscan friars) were imprisoned in 1572. Upon hearing of their arrest, St. John of Cologne responded with great courage, recognizing the danger his fellow religious faced.

But filled with the Holy Spirit, he felt compelled to minister to the captured priests and friars, consoling them with the sacraments. Disguising himself, he successfully ministered to them for several days before eventually being captured, along with three other priests.

St. John of Cologne teaches us the importance of listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, even when that means ministering in places where Christians are persecuted. By his example, he also reminds us of the importance of visiting the imprisoned and persecuted, even at great personal cost.

It’s easy to rationalize and think, “I can be more useful where I am. I haven’t been caught yet or thrown into prison for ministering. Perhaps I can go elsewhere to preach; I can reach more people if I remain free.” But God's ways are not our ways. God showed St. John that priests and religious need other priests to minister to them and offer consolation. The shepherd is also a sheep, and he, too, needs spiritual nourishment.

When one part of the body is hurting, the other comes to its aid, even at the risk of injury or loss. How profound that St. John must have known he was walking into certain death, just as Jesus did after the Passover, on his way to the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Lord is in charge of our spiritual lives. Whether or not the society we live in supports a sacramental life, God will use the circumstances of our era to transform us.