Hierarch Saint John V the Merciful (the Almsgiver), Patriarch of Alexandria

Saint John V the Merciful (the Almsgiver) (c. 552 – c. 619/620) was Patriarch of Alexandria. Born in Amathus, Cyprus, into a patrician family, he turned to a life of strict piety after the deaths of his wife and children. Around 606–610 he was elected Patriarch of Alexandria.

His first act was to order a census of all the poor of the city — some 7,500 were found — and he placed them under the Church's care. He distributed the vast wealth of the patriarchate to the needy, built hospitals, hostels, and churches, ransomed captives, and aided refugees fleeing the Persian devastation of Syria and Palestine. His boundless generosity earned him the epithet "the Merciful."

When the Persians invaded Egypt in 619, he fled with his flock to his native Cyprus, to Amathus, where he soon reposed in peace. His Life, written by Leontius of Neapolis, became a classic of hagiography on charity.