Feast day: June 24
When did St. John the Baptist live: aroung the first century, he was born a little before Jesus and died a year before Jesus
Biography of St. John the Baptist:
John the Baptists is the son of Zachary and Elizabeth and lived as a hermit in the desert until he was thirty, when he began to preach at the bank of the Jordan. He was very eloquent and attracted many people who wished to be baptized by John. As Christ came by one day, John recognized him as the Messiah and baptized him. When Jesus left, John continued preaching but was soon after captured because he got into trouble with the king of Israel, Herod. John was beheaded because he said that Herod should not have married Herodias since this woman was already married before with Herod's brother Philip.
Patronage: John the Baptist is patron saint of the river Jordan, Puerto Rico, French Canada, Florence, Genoa, Monza and many other places
Statues and wooden sculptures from Val Gardena representing St. John the Baptist- representation, imagery and emblem: St. John the Baptist is shown with a camel-skin robe which he wore during his life as a hermit, a cross and a lamb as a symbol for Jesus, the lamb of God.