Juan Caballero y Ocio facts for kids

Statue of Juan Caballero y Ocio erected in his hometown

Juan Caballero y Ocio (born May 4, 1644 – died April 11, 1707) was a Catholic priest. He was well-known for giving many generous gifts to the Catholic church and for his charity work.

Life of Juan Caballero y Ocio

Juan Caballero y Ocio was born and died in Querétaro City, Mexico. Before he became a priest, he served as the mayor of his hometown.

After he became a priest, he held several important positions in the church. He even turned down offers to become a bishop twice. The King of Spain also offered him the job of Governor of California. He refused this offer too, even after giving a large donation to the missions there.

Juan Caballero was a very wealthy man. He was famous for his big donations to the Catholic Church. He also gave many other charitable gifts. For example, he paid the dowries (money or property a bride brings to her marriage) for over two hundred girls. When he died, he left all his money to the church. The church held onto this money until a time called La Reforma, when laws changed.

Buildings Juan Caballero Sponsored

Juan Caballero helped pay for many Catholic buildings to be built during his life. In his hometown of Querétaro, he supported the construction or expansion of:

• The Parroquia de Santiago, which was a Jesuit church.
• The San Ignacio de Loyola Jesuit College.
• Expansions to the Church of San Francisco.
• The Church of Santo Domingo.
• The Convent of Santo Domingo.
• The Chapel of Our Lady of Loretto.
• The Royal Convent of Santa Clara, a Capuchin convent.
• A hospital located within the Franciscan convent.
• The Temple and Convent of San Antonio de Padua.
• The Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen.
• The Santuario de La Congregación de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
• A temporary building that came before Santa Rosa de Viterbo.

He also gave money to other places, including:

• The churches of Sts. Clara, Belen, and Philip Neri in Mexico City.
• The church of St. Dominic in Guadalajara.
• The Spanish missions in California.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Caballero y Ocio para niños