Doctor (1864–1919)
José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros was born in the town of Isnotú in the foothills of the Venezuelan Andes. Deciding on a career in medicine, he studied at the Central University of Venezuela and then went to Europe for further studies at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He returned with advanced training in microbiology, pathology, bacteriology, and other subjects, but he chose to spend most of his life offering primary care, particularly to the poor, whom he treated without charge. Everyone who knew him understood that his vocation was truly an expression of his love for God and his neighbors.
His life ended abruptly on June 29, 1919, when he was struck by a car while on one of his medical errands during the Spanish flu pandemic. News of his death quickly spread, and thousands gathered to attend the funeral of this “doctor of the poor.” From then on, veneration of his memory grew throughout the country, and he became one of the most widely recognized and revered figures in Venezuelan history. It was common in homes of all classes to see a portrait of Dr. Hernández in his black suit and carrying his medical bag.
His beatification in 2021 came amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many felt his example of loving service held special meaning amid a pandemic that had such disproportionate impact on the poor. He was canonized in 2025 with a feast day on October 26.
“He is a model of holiness committed to the defense of life, to the challenges of history and, in particular, as a paradigm of service to others, like a Good Samaritan, excluding no one. . . . He is a man of universal service.”
—Pope Francis
