St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch circa 344. First a holy monk, then a priest, always an ascetic, he gained renown for his inspired preaching on the Scriptures and the Eucharist. His name “Chrysostom” means “golden-mouthed.” His great love for the Eucharist inspired him to create a shortened liturgy (now named after him) to encourage his people to attend more often. He is said to have experienced heavenly visions during his celebrations of Mass.
St. John truly lived the prophetic mission: he “afflicted the comfortable” and “comforted the afflicted.” He preached against vice and also proclaimed controversial gospel values, such as sharing wealth with the poor. Sometimes his enthusiastic homilies lasted two hours. Reluctantly accepting the office of Bishop of Constantinople in an era of dense political intrigue, St. John enjoyed great popularity with the people, although his sermons and decisive actions against injustice often infuriated those in power, provoking dangerous enemies such as the Archbishop of Alexandria and Empress Eudoxia. He suffered a brief banishment in 404, gained a reprieve, but was forced into permanent exile in 407. Frail in body but mighty in spirit, he received his beloved Sacrament for the last time on his arduous 400-mile journey into exile, then died with a final prayer on his lips, “Glory be to God for all things.” Designated a Doctor of the Church, this courageous saint is considered to be one of the greatest preachers who ever lived, and his sermons remain powerful, even today. He is the patron of preachers, orators, and speakers and is honored in the Orthodox and Eastern rite traditions, as well. His feast day is September 13.
St. John Chrysostom School honors this patron saint by observing his feast day annually with a student body Mass. Our curriculum stresses faith development and language arts at every level, so that our students will become prayerful, courageous, and informed critical thinkers, eloquent in speech and writing, ready for any academic, moral, or spiritual challenge that confronts them. We especially invoke our patron’s intercession during competition in the annual Archdiocesan Academic Decathlon