📚 St. Jose Gregorio Hernandez

St. José Gregorio Hernández was a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and Third Order Franciscan known for his deep Catholic faith and extraordinary charity toward the poor and sick. Often called “The Doctor of the Poor,” he dedicated his medical knowledge and personal resources to caring for those who could not afford treatment. Alongside his work as a doctor and university professor, he lived a life of prayer, humility, and devotion to the Eucharist.

He briefly entered religious life with the Carthusians and later prepared for the priesthood in Rome, but poor health forced him to return to Venezuela. There, he continued his medical practice and became widely loved for treating patients without charge and bringing spiritual comfort as well as physical care. He died after being struck by a vehicle while on his way to assist a sick patient, and devotion to him spread rapidly throughout Latin America.

Lived: October 26, 1864 – June 29, 1919 | Feast Day: October 26 | Canonized: October 20, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV
Patronage: Physicians, the sick, Venezuela, and those in medical service

Saint Feast day
October 26Devotional
Lived
October 26, 1864 – June 29, 1919
Canonized
October 20, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV

St. José Gregorio Hernández was a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and Third Order Franciscan known for his deep Catholic faith and extraordinary charity toward the poor and sick. Often called “The Doctor of the Poor,” he dedicated his medical knowledge and personal resources to caring for those who could not afford treatment. Alongside his work as a doctor and university professor, he lived a life of prayer, humility, and devotion to the Eucharist.

He briefly entered religious life with the Carthusians and later prepared for the priesthood in Rome, but poor health forced him to return to Venezuela. There, he continued his medical practice and became widely loved for treating patients without charge and bringing spiritual comfort as well as physical care. He died after being struck by a vehicle while on his way to assist a sick patient, and devotion to him spread rapidly throughout Latin America.

Patron of

Physicians, the sick, Venezuela, and those in medical service

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