John of Matera or Mathera, also known as John of Pulsano ( it, San Giovanni da Matera) was a

Benedictine monk , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

Life

John was born at

Matera Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. As the capital of the province of Matera, its original settlement lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a comple ...

to a family of nobles. As a young man he moved to

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

where he asked for hospitality and work from the

Basilian monks Basilian monks are Roman Catholic monks who follow the rule of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea (330–379). The term 'Basilian' is typically used only in the Catholic Church to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic li ...

of the Island of San Pietro. There he worked as a shepherd.Borrelli, Antonio. "Giovanni da Matera", Santi e Beati, February 1, 2001
/ref> Due to some misunderstandings with the monks, he left the islet and went to

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

and then to

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, continuing to live a life of penance and renunciation."Saint John of Matera", ''Daily Compass'', June 20, 2021
/ref> He remained there for two years before moving to

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, where he stayed with relatives. He founded a small monastic community in

Ginosa Ginosa ( Barese: ) is a small town and ''comune'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, southern Italy. Main sights The most important monument of Ginosa is the ''Castello Normanno'' (Norman Castle). It was built in 1080 by Robert Guiscard to def ...

, where he made himself known as a preacher in the area and attracted the admiration of many. He made many enemies by his upright life and was eventually imprisoned because of false calumnies. He was miraculously freed from his chains. After meeting and spending some time with the hermit

William of Vercelli William of Montevergine, or William of Vercelli, ( it, Guglielmo) ( la, Gulielmus) (1085 – 25 June 1142), also known as William the Abbot, was a Catholic hermit and the founder of the Congregation of Monte Vergine, or " Williamites". He is v ...

at Bagnoli, he decided to go to Palestine. Around 1127 while passing through Bari, he realised that his mission had to take place there. He was rescued from prison by

Grimoald, Prince of Bari Grimoald Alferanites was the prince of Bari from 1121 to 1132. After a civil war broke out in Bari, Risone, the archbishop of the city, was murdered (1117) and the princess of Taranto, Constance of France, was imprisoned at Giovinazzo (1119) b ...

, who ordered him to give an account of his theology to prove his orthodoxy. He preached under Grimoald in

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

. He went on to

Gargano Gargano (, Gargano Apulian Italo-Romance arˈgæːnə is a historical and geographical sub-region in the province of Foggia, Apulia, southeast Italy, consisting of a wide isolated mountain massif made of highland and several peaks and forming ...

, and there around 1130, near

Pulsano Pulsano ( Brindisino: or ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Taranto in the Apulia region of southeast Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It ...

, in a solitary valley he started a new community with six disciples. They followed the Benedictine Rule with a strong concentration on manual labour. In six months, the community had grown to sixty monks and acquired great fame. The monastic congregation known as the "Scalzi" grew in size, receiving bequests and land, so another house was opened near the church of St. James in

Foggia Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...

and then a monastery in Meleda in Dalmatia opposite the coast of the Gargano. His alternate name comes from his foundation of the monastery of Saint Mary of

, of which he was the first abbot. John died in Foggia on 20 June 1139 and canonized by

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

in 1177. In 1830 his

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

were translated to

Matera Cathedral Matera Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Matera; Cattedrale di Santa Maria della Bruna e di Sant'Eustachio) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Matera, Basilicata, Italy. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the designation of the Madonna della Bruna an ...

, where they remain.La Città dell'Uomo.it: Life of San Giovanni di Matera
/ref> He is remembered on 20 June and is portrayed as an abbot driving the devil away with a rod.

References

Sources

*Caravale, Mario (ed.), 2003: ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani''. Rome {{DEFAULTSORT:John Of Matera 1139 deaths Italian Benedictines People from Matera Italian abbots Italian saints 12th-century Christian saints 1070 births