Saint John Berchmans

John Berchmans (1599–1621) was the son of a shoemaker in Diest, in present-day Belgium. He joined the Jesuits at seventeen and was sent to study philosophy at the Roman College, where he was known for his cheerfulness, kindness and faithfulness to the smallest rules. "My greatest penance is common life," he said. He fell ill and died in Rome at only 22, holding his crucifix, rosary and rule book, and was canonized in 1888.

He is the patron of altar servers, and many parishes name their altar server groups after him. In 1866 a young novice at Grand Coteau, Louisiana, was healed after praying to him, and the place is now a shrine in the United States. Jesuits celebrate his feast on November 26.