As abbot of the monastery of Mont Saint-Eloi, near Arras, France, John de Barastre imparted to his religious community a renewed dedication to monastic discipline and ecclesiastical studies. The French king Saint Louis IX so esteemed him that he donated to the monastery a thorn from the Passion relic of the Crown of Thorns enshrined in Paris. John frequently visited those in prison, and gave generously to the poor. He celebrated Mass with intense, tearful devotion that reached its climax at the moment of Holy Communion. The Passion of Christ was the habitual focus of his thoughts and meditations.
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