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John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado

1615 – 1687

Spanish Franciscan friar and mystic

Friar
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About John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado

Lived 1615 – 1687 (aged 71). John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado was a Spanish friar.

John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado (; December 1615 – 6 February 1687) was a Spanish Friar Minor and mystic. The cause for his canonization has been submitted to the Holy See.

Biography He was born presumably during December 1615 to Miguel Hernández and María Delgado y Díaz. He was named for his maternal grandfather, Juan Díaz, a descendant of the last Guanche Mencey (King) of Daute, one of the kingdoms on Tenerife before its conquest by Spain. The day of his birth is not known but he was baptized on 20 December of that year in the Parish Church of St. Mark. At the age of ten he was apprenticed to a cooper in Garachico, then a thriving center for the export of the local wine. The individual shop owner was a violent man, who would vent his anger upon his apprentence, to the point of throwing him into a bonfire, burned as a traditional part of the festival of Saint John the Baptist, which caused the boy the loss of his left eye. He accepted this treatment with deep resignation as a trial of his faith and kept at his job, combining prayer and penance to deal with it. He was admitted to the Order of Friars Minor on 22 July of that year at the Friary of St. John the Baptist in Puerto de la Cruz, becoming the porter of the house. While there he became noted for the humility with which he would do the most humble tasks in the friary. He was later transferred to the Friary of San Diego del Monte (now a chapel), outside the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Although he was not a priest, Hernández helped spiritually with his advice many of the people who visited the friary, as well as another noted mystic in the city, the Dominican nun, Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado, possibly a relation.

Hernández' health began to deteriorate with time. He was often unable to walk outside the friary, as he strictly observed the rejection of wearing shoes as practiced by the reformed branch of the Order to which he belonged. Died on 6 February 1687, a noted figure to the people throughout the region. He was seventy-one years old at the time of his death and had long been ill.

An inquiry into his life as part of the process for his canonization was begun shortly after his death. A biography of his life and a list of miracles attributed to him was published about 1700. The cause is pending for approval.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Friar
Nationality
Also known as
John of Jesus Hernandez y Delgado

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado?

Spanish Franciscan friar and mystic

When was John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado born?

John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado was born on 1 December 1615 in Icod de los Vinos.

When did John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado die?

John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado died on 6 February 1687 in San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

What was John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado's occupation?

John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado was a friar.

What nationality was John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado?

John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado was Spanish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado

· Wikidata: Q574008

· DBpedia: John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado. https://biography.guide/john-of-jesus-hernandez-y-delgado/

MLA: "John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-of-jesus-hernandez-y-delgado/.

Chicago: "John of Jesus Hernández y Delgado." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-of-jesus-hernandez-y-delgado/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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