Born in the late 16th century in southern France, his parents were nobles. 

When he was still a boy, his older brother was killed in a battle with the Huguenots. 

At 19, after going off to college, John made the decision to become a priest and entered the Jesuit novitiate at Toulouse, taking his vows two years later. 

For the next several years, while pursuing his own studies, he became an outstanding teacher and developed a reputation as an outstanding preacher. 

By the time John was in his mid-30s, he was an ordained priest with a passion for working with and helping the poor. 

When the Bubonic plague struck Toulouse, he worked tirelessly to help in any way he could. 

He raised money to help women break the bondage of prostitution by providing them training as lace makers. 

A fiery preacher, John was not shy about speaking directly to the moral wrongs of his time and those committing them, even those in power. As a result, he often found himself threatened by those he was rebuking and even other clergy. 

From 1633 to 1640, he visited more than fifty communities, often, high in the mountains and difficult to get to. And he always went by foot, even in winter. 

He died of pneumonia at the age of just 41. 

St. John Francis Regis, please pray for us.