Blessed Juan

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Blessed Juan was born in October of 1731. He was very instrumental in the conversion of Mexico to Catholicism, despite his almost non-existent biography. He was raised on a cattle ranch in Mexico where he learned to ride bulls. His parents raised him to be a Catholic, but he experienced a vision from God in January of 1753 at the age of twenty-two which led him to become a missionary to other parts of Mexico. He spent much of his days visiting the sick and evangelizing to the poor and needy. He died after seven years of preaching on poverty and Jesus Christ, in 1760. He was given the title Blessed by Pope John Paul II soon after the council of Vatican II. He is one of the patrons of bull-riders. There is also a painting of him held proudly by the AMDG household.

There is also a small shrine built by the IFCs (the name of one of the local Franciscan organizations) to honor Blessed Juan. There are also many myths and legends about Blessed Juan, though much of his past remains a mystery. One account of Blesses Juan's death holds that Juan stood up to a ranch owner over a few poor workers who had recently converted to Christianity. The ranch owner let one of his bulls attack Blessed Juan which rammed one of its horns into Blessed Juan's side. The legend holds that the owner and workers had a vision of the Eucharist coming out of Blessed Juan's side. The legend spread across the region and converted many who heard it. It is also uncertain if Blessed Juan was born in October of 1731, as some would argue that it must have been during Spring from some accounts, though the majority seems to hold that he was born in October.

For a photograph of the famous painting of Blessed Juan, click the link below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Blessed_Juan.JPG#file