John of Meda

Saint John of Meda Ord.Hum
Lunette of the portal of the church of the Abbey of Viboldone, Milan, Italy. On the left is Saint Ambrose (patron saint of Milan), with Our Lady with the Child Jesus in the centre, and St. John of Meda on the right.
Abbot
Born	Giovanni Oldrati (or Oldradi) 1100 Meda, Lombardy, Holy Roman Empire
Died	26 September 1159 (aged 58-59) Brera, Lombardy, Holy Roman Empire
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church (Lombardy)
Canonized	ca. 1170 by Pope Alexander III
Major shrine	Pontificio Collegio Gallio, Como, Italy
Feast	26 September

John of Meda, Ord.Hum., (1100 - 26 September 1159) also known as John of Como, was an Italian monk of the Humiliati Order and abbot at their monasteries at Milan and Como. He has been declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

Life

He was born Giovanni Oldrati (or Oldradi) in the town of Meda, Lombardy. Receiving a vision of the Virgin Mary, in 1134 he felt called to join the Humiliati at their Abbey of Viboldone. This was a religious movement widely viewed with suspicion for heresy, due to their communities being composed of families as well as men and women following the monastic form of life, with the former being the leaders of the community.

John came to work for their adoption of the Benedictine Rule, adapted to their needs. Later, John went on to found other monasteries of the Order in the regions of Milan and Lombardy. He spent his later life serving as an abbot, and is known for introducing the Little Office of Our Lady.