Known as “Good Pope John”, Blessed Pope John XXIII was the fourth of fourteen children. He was born in the small village of Sotto il Monte, Italy. His family worked as sharecroppers. They were rich in the faith but poor in material possesions.   

He entered the seminary in 1892.  While in the seminary he began making notes of his spiritual progress.  He continued writing these notes and advancing in the spiritual life almost until his death. These were collected and published after his death entitled The Journal of a Soul.

In August of 1904 he was ordained a priest . One year later he was appointed as the secretary to the Bishop of Bergamo, Giacomo Tedeschi.  He was involved in many diocesan projects such as a Diocesan Synod, management of the diocesan bulletin, pilgrimages and social work. He was also assigned to teach in the seminary.  He was a sought after and effective preacher.  He learned the value of hard work from his family.  He kept a busy schedule throughout his life working tirelessly for the Church and the people he was sent to serve.

During World War I,  he was drafted as a sergeant in the medical corps and became a chaplain. When the war ended, he opened a "Student House" for the spiritual needs of young people.  He was also assigned as the spiritual director for the seminary.

In 1921, he was called to Rome to be the Italian president of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. In 1925, he was ordained Bishop and appointed the Apostolic Visitator for Bulgaria.  When he lived in Bulgaria a strong earthquake hit the area.  He helped those effected by  the earthquake in any way possible . During his stay in Bulgaria, he visited and encouraged the Catholics  and established relationships with the other Christian communities.

In 1935, he was named Apostolic Delegate to Turkey and Greece. He not only worked among the Catholics but respectfully approached and dialogued with the Orthodox Church and Islam. When the Second World War began he tried to get news from the prisoners of war to their families and assisted many Jews to escape by issuing "transit visas" from his office. In December 1944 Pius XII appointed him Nuncio in France.

During the last months of the war he aided the prisoners of war.  His approach to all his assignments and projects was characterized by a striving for Gospel simplicity. He daily spent many hours in prayer and meditation. In 1953 he was created a Cardinal and became the Patriarch of Venice, Italy.

At the death of Pius XII he was elected Pope on  October 28,1958. His pontificate lasted less than five years. He carried out the Christian duties of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy: visiting the imprisoned and the sick, welcoming those of every nation and faith, bestowing on all his exquisite fatherly care.

He convoked the Roman Synod, established the Commission for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law and summoned the Second Vatican Council. Pope John XXIII died on June 3, 1963. He was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II in 2000. The Vatican has announced that he will be declared a saint along with the pope who declared him Blessed, Pope John Paul II, on April 27, 2014.