The path of Christian spirituality is well trodden. It is not a secret or a mystery, it is easy to discover and available to anyone, and it works.

We often look for new and exciting ways to live the spiritual life, but that quest is usually driven by our belief that we can figure everything out on our own. That attitude lacks the essential ingredient for spiritual growth: humility.

It is incredibly valuable to learn from those who have already walked the Christian path, or are further down the path than we are. It is incredibly valuable to have mentors in our faith journey. 

Saint John of Beverley was lucky enough to have one of the greatest mentors of all time: Saint Hilda of Whitby. 

John was a student at the monastery of Whitby, where Hilda was abbess—the head of the nuns there. Under Hilda's mentorship, John was immersed in the Scriptures, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and the liturgical practices of the time. Hilda's own devotion to the Christian life served as a living example for John, teaching him the values of humility, compassion, and wisdom. 

John went on to found his own monastery in the town of Beverley. It became a center of learning where everyone was welcome. His emphasis in Beverley was not just teaching people to read and write or engage in philosophical debates. It was to teach people what he himself had learned was essential to walk the Christian life: humility, compassion, and wisdom. 

John later held the highest Church title in all of England—the Bishop of York. But he was humble in his work, and left the legacy of a man who cared deeply for every individual person he met. By the time he died, he was already considered a living saint.

Saint John of Beverley could not have advanced so far down the Christian path if it had not been for his mentor, Hilda. Who in your life can be your mentor? A priest? A nun? A friend whose faith you admire? A fellow parishioner you’ve always wanted to get to know better?

Maybe you don’t know anyone who has any interest in walking the Christian path. But books offer a way to spend plenty of time with people who have already walked the Christian path: Mother Teresa, Fulton Sheen, C.S. Lewis, Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Augustine, Aquinas, Chesterton, Tolkien, Dorothy Day. The list is endless. 

Who is your spiritual mentor?

Patron Saint of: The English Royal Family

Feast Day: May 7

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Flavia Domitilla and Saint Rosa Venerini

Canonized: 1037

Canonized By: Pope Benedict IX