Saint John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, in 1881. Born to an Italian peasant family, the fourth child in a family of fourteen. He felt called to the priesthood, and entered a seminary. Encouraged by his spiritual director, he joined and was professed into the Secular Franciscan Order. He was ordained a priest in 1904.

In 1905, he served as secretary to the bishop of the Diocese of Bergamo, Italy. When World War I began, Father Roncalli was drafted into the Italian Army as stretcher bearer. He would receive promotion to the rank of sergeant for his work. He eventually was made a chaplain within the army.

He would enter the diplomatic service for the Holy See, He was sent to Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. He would be consecrated a bishop and eventually an Archbishop. While in Turkey, during World War II, he used his diplomatic status to help Jewish families escape the Nazi persecution.

After the war, Roncalli remained active in the Papal diplomatic service. He served as nuncio in France for a time. In 1958, he was both made a Cardinal and named Patriarch of Venice, Italy, which also made him an Archbishop.

In 1958, with the death of Pope Pius XII, a Papal Conclave was called. After eleven ballots with no results. The Cardinals settled on Cardinal Roncalli, as a “caretaker” Pope. He would prove be anything but a “caretaker.” He summoned the world’s bishops to an Ecumenical Council, known today as Vatican II. With his encouragement, the bishops discussed matters concerning the life of the Church, and its relationship with the world. From it would come documents that would renew the Church.

He would not see the end of this great project. John XXIII died on June 3rd, 1963. He was canonized a saint in 2014.