St. John Masias

St. John Masias (1585-1645)  of Lima, Peru, a friend and fellow Dominican of St. Martin de Porres, was like Martin, truly a "child of God." John, a native of Rivera, Plasencia, Spain, is said to have been descended from a noble family that had become impoverished.  Whatever his lineage, he was orphaned at an early age, and raised by an uncle, who made him tend sheep to support himself and his brothers and sisters.  

With no opportunity for schooling, Juan grew up illiterate.  When he was 21, he felt inspired by St. John the Evangelist to migrate to South America--a popular choice of many Spaniards in those days when Spain was colonizing Latin America.  Making his way gradually to Lima, John entered the employ of a landholder who assigned him to work with his cattle and sheep. Around 1621, Juan decided to apply for entry into the Dominicans as a lay brother.  

During his Dominican career Brother John held only one post, that of porter of the convent, but it was in this role that he earned heaven.  Every day the poor, the sick and the abandoned would come to the door to receive bread from him. (The convent still preserves the basket he used to hold the loaves.)  Collecting the food to give was his preliminary duty. To save himself time in begging door to door, he trained the priory's donkey to go about town alone with baskets on its back.  When the people saw it coming, they would put food and clothing into its baskets for Brother Juan to distribute.  Many miracles were attributed to Brother John.

His feast day is September 18.