Chrysostom, << KRIHS uh stuhm or krih SOS tuhm, >> Saint John (347-407), was a bishop of the early Christian church. John was born in Antioch (now in Turkey) and was ordained a priest there. He delivered a series of sermons that assured his fame throughout the Byzantine Empire. His reputation for charity won the hearts of the common people. John’s eloquence earned him the nickname Chrysostom in Greek, which means golden-mouthed. John also revised the Greek liturgy (form of worship).
In 398, John was made patriarch (chief bishop) of Constantinople. His uncompromising zeal provoked the anger of the Byzantine imperial court. Empress Eudoxia resented his attempts at social reform. Emperor Arcadius banished John to Syria and later to the Black Sea in response to John’s preaching against worldliness and vice. John’s feast day is September 13.
