Who is John the Harvester?

Also known as St. John Theristus. He was an Italian but also a Byzantine Christian (Eastern Catholic) who became a Benedictine monk. Check out five cool things about him (and a short video about him) below!

1. A post-schism East/West Saint

One of unfortunate effects of the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches, also known as the Orthodox and Catholic split, is that we no longer has as strong a shared tradition of Saints. While we do share many Saints whose lives pre-dated the 1054 Schism, there are many afterwards who are unknown by either side. St. John the Harvester is a great example of a Saint who could help bring these two sides together.

2. Adversity in Childhood.

St. John’s childhood had its own unique struggles. His father was killed and his mother was captured by Saracen raiders. John was born into slavery. Thanks to the sacrifice of his mother, he escaped at 14. 

3. A Perilous Journey

In order to escape, he crossed the Strait of Messina in a boat without oars or sail. This was just the first of the miracles associated with St. John’s life.

4. A Natural Leader

In adulthood, he was elected Abbot of his Benedictine monastery in Calabria, Sicily. His main concern was to oversee the spiritual growth of his monks, providing an example of prayer and work (“ora et labora“), which is the motto of the Benedictines. 

5. Calming of the storm and “the Harvester” Nickname

While this is an allusion to the Gospel of John 4:36-38, there is a cool story associated with today’s Saint. When the crops of a community were struggling and the threat of a storm was looming, St. John prayed to calm the story to allow them time to harvest what had grown. This miraculous calming of the storm earned him the appropriate nickname. 

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