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John Mendriks

1907 – 1953

Latvian servant of God

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About John Mendriks

Lived 1907 – 1953 (aged 46). John Mendriks was a Russian and Latvian catholic priest.

Jānis Mendriks (21 January 1907 – 1 August 1953) was a Latvian Catholic priest who was killed in a Soviet Gulag during the 1953 Vorkuta uprising.

Biography

Mendriks was born in Logocki, Kalupe Parish, in southern Latgale (then in Russian Empire). He attended Riga Seminary (Rīgas Katoļu garīgais seminārs) after which he was ordained a priest at St. James's Cathedral, Riga on 3 April 1938. He was a member of the Congregation of Marian Fathers. After his ordination, he served as a vicar at the Marian parish in Viļāni.

In 1942, during the German occupation of Latvia, while he served a parish in Ostron, a German policeman died. He knew the man to be impenitent, and denied him burial in hallowed ground. This refusal required him to hide from German occupation authorities.

After the Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944, he resumed parish work.

Mendriks has been honoured by the Roman Catholic Church as a Servant of God since 2003.

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Important facts

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Mendriks's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Mendriks?

Latvian servant of God (1907-1953)

When was John Mendriks born?

John Mendriks was born on 21 January 1907 in Aglona.

When did John Mendriks die?

John Mendriks died on 1 August 1953 in Vorkuta.

What was John Mendriks's occupation?

John Mendriks was a catholic priest.

What nationality was John Mendriks?

John Mendriks was Russian and Latvian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Mendriks

· Wikidata: Q1524311

· DBpedia: Jānis Mendriks

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Mendriks. https://biography.guide/john-mendriks/

MLA: "John Mendriks." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-mendriks/.

Chicago: "John Mendriks." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-mendriks/.

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