GIOVANNI GRANDE, IL PECCATORE, BEATO - Enciclopedia Cattolica, Vol. VI, p. 390

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

GIOVANNI GRANDE, the Sinner, Blessed. - Fatebenefratello, born in Carmona (Andalusia) in 1546, died in Jerez de la Frontera (Andalusia) on 3 June 1600. Initially engaged in commerce, at the age of 22 he retired to a hermitage; he then moved to Jerez de la Frontera, where he began his apostolate of charity among prisoners.

At the age of 25, he dedicated himself to caring for the sick in the hospital of Our Lady of Remedies, but was driven out by malicious individuals. He then founded another hospital in the same city. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Seville entrusted him with the direction and reorganization of all the hospitals in Jerez. In 1579, he entered with his companions, who assisted him, among the Hospitallers of St John of God, or Fatebenefratelli. He particularly distinguished himself during the plague of 1600, and having offered himself to God for the cessation of the terrible scourge, he became its final precious victim. He was beatified by Pius IX in 1853. Feast day: 3 June.

BIBL.: Vita del b. G. G., detto il Pecador, religioso professo dell'Ordine Apostolario di S. Giovanni di Dio, Rome 1853; A. Coudour, Vie du b. Jean Grande di le Pécheur, de l'Ordre des Frères de St Jean de Dieu, Lyon 1858; J. Vincke, s. V. in LTHK, V, col. 501. Other bibliography in A. Butler, The lives of the Saints, new ed. edited by H. Thurston and N. Leeson, VI, London 1949, p. 43.