St. John Grande

[CyrilSebastian]

                          John Roman was born on March 6, 1546 in Carmona near Seville.     
                           He learned the merchant's trade in Seville. He returned to Carmona and   
                           opened a linen shop. He was not satisfied with that work. He quit the business   
                           when he was nineteen. He gave away his property and became a hermit.

[CyrilSebastian]

                                    After he became a hermit, he called himself John Grande Pecador (Great Sinner).   
                                      He settled down in the city of Jerez de la Frontera where he took care of prisoners.

[CyrilSebastian]

St. John Grande won the trust of a rich married couple who provided him with funds for opening up a hospital in Jerez.

[CyrilSebastian]

St. John Grande helped women of the streets. He gathered dowries for them so they would be able to start a family and abandon life in sin.

[CyrilSebastian]

In 1574 John Grande affiliated his hospital with the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God and joined the order.

[CyrilSebastian]

John Grande founded a hospital of his own.   
He devoted it to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the name of "Our Lady of Candlemas".