{"product_id":"saint-john-of-god-medal-necklace","title":"Saint John of God Medal Necklace – Patron Saint of Hospitals \u0026 the Sick","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaint John of God, Patron Saint of Hospitals and the Sick\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn was born in Portugal in 1495 and lived a restless early life, working as a shepherd and later a soldier in various European wars before eventually settling in Granada, Spain, where he ran a small shop selling religious books and prints. At forty, a sermon by John of Ávila moved him so deeply that he suffered what witnesses described as a complete breakdown, tearing at his clothes and giving away his possessions in the street, behavior extreme enough that he was committed to a hospital for the mentally ill and beaten, as was common treatment at the time. From inside that hospital, John experienced firsthand exactly how badly the sick and mentally ill were being cared for, and it changed the direction of his life entirely. Once released, he began personally taking in the sick, the poor, and the homeless, first in rented rooms and eventually in a hospital of his own founding in Granada, where he insisted on organizing patients by illness and treating them with a dignity almost unheard of at the time. Legend holds that during a fire at his hospital, he ran back into the flames to save patients unharmed, and that he once carried a sick man on his own back through the streets rather than leave him uncared for. His approach became the direct foundation for the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, an order that still runs hospitals worldwide today. He died in 1550, and Pope Leo XIII later named him patron of hospitals, the sick, and heart patients.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Gift For...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone working in a hospital, healthcare, or hospice setting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA person living with heart disease or a heart condition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA firefighter, tied to the legend of his rescue during a hospital fire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomeone in recovery, or supporting a loved one through addiction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA confirmation candidate drawn to a saint whose own crisis became his calling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Saint John of God's Day gift on March 8, for any nurse, doctor, or caregiver in your life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Confirmation Gift for John\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a confirmation candidate who wants proof that even a breakdown can become the start of something meaningful, John of God offers a rare, honest model. Engrave a name and confirmation date, and let his transformation carry the meaning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Saint John of God Medal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis medal depicts him holding a pomegranate split open with a cross rising from its center, the emblem of the order he founded, referencing the vision in which the Christ Child gave him a pomegranate and told him, \"Granada will be your cross,\" his halo radiating outward. The natural gold or silver of the metal forms the illustration itself. Black ink is applied to the pendant surface and the metal shows through as the image. A shatterproof liquid glass coating seals the surface. The result has a depth and precision that printed medals don't achieve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePersonalization and Engraving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe optional engraving on the reverse is rendered in Tangerine cursive, two lines, up to 20 characters each. Many choose a name and a graduation or licensure date, while others engrave \"healer\" or simply his name alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaint John of God's feast day is March 8, and the order he founded after his own hospitalization now runs hospitals, clinics, and care centers in over fifty countries, a legacy built directly from the worst chapter of his own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelated Devotions for Healing and Charity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFor Doctors and Pharmacists:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pair with the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saints-cosmas-and-damian-medal-necklace\"\u003eSaints Cosmas and Damian Medal\u003c\/a\u003e, the Church's Unmercenary Healers.\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFor Charitable Service:\u003c\/strong\u003e Explore the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-vincent-de-paul-medal-necklace\"\u003eSaint Vincent de Paul Medal\u003c\/a\u003e, patron of charities and the poor.\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFor Doctors, Surgeons, and Luke's Legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Discover the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-luke-medal-necklace\"\u003eSaint Luke Medal\u003c\/a\u003e, the physician-evangelist and patron of doctors and surgeons.\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n","brand":"Sanctum Medals","offers":[{"title":"Stainless Steel \/ No","offer_id":53617273700688,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless Steel \/ Yes","offer_id":53617273733456,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18k Gold Finish \/ No","offer_id":53617273766224,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18k Gold Finish \/ Yes","offer_id":53617273798992,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0939\/7852\/6032\/files\/Saint-John-of-God-Medal-Gold-frontview.jpg?v=1789494471","url":"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-john-of-god-medal-necklace","provider":"Sanctum Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}