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The saints

St. John Chrysostom

The golden-mouthed preacher who told the rich of Constantinople what they did not want to hear.

Feast: 13 September · about 349 to 407 · The early Church · Antioch and Constantinople

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Mosaic of St. John Chrysostom in white bishop’s vestments on a gold background, holding a book.

Unknown author. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Home / The saints / St. John Chrysostom

Constantinople, 398

John was the greatest preacher of Antioch, so famous he was called Chrysostom, golden-mouthed.1

He was made archbishop of Constantinople, almost against his will.1

He preached against luxury, and told the wealthy that the poor man is Christ.

Patron of preachers and speakers1

01St. John Chrysostom

Exiled

The empress and his enemies had him deposed and exiled, and he died on a forced march in 407.1

His liturgy is still the one most Eastern Christians celebrate.1

Live it this week

Honor Christ in the poor at the door

Chrysostom said you can’t honor Christ’s Body at Mass and ignore Him outside, naked and cold. This week, give something real to the next person who asks you for help.

Notes

How we know · 1 source for this page
  1. Franciscan Media, Saint of the Day: “Saint John Chrysostom”. franciscanmedia.org. franciscanmedia.org

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) is in the public domain; we quote the New Advent edition. Texts of the Holy See are quoted briefly from vatican.va. Scripture: World English Bible, Catholic edition (public domain); Verse numbers are modern, with Douay-Rheims numbers in brackets where they differ. Photographs: Wikimedia Commons, credited under each image; full list on the photo credits page.

Lines in the narrator’s voice, without a note, are our reflection, not a historical claim. Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words; our wording is not an official Church text. Report an errorCorrections.