Summary
A locally venerated John from stories in Povlja about a shepherd, a monk, prayer and protection from plague. His story is associated with hollows in stone, the church setting and a modern sculpture in Povlja.
His life has no established historical dates; he is not the same person as John the Baptist.
What local tradition recounts
Stories from Povlja describe John as a shepherd and monk, associated with prayer and protecting residents from plague. The period of his life has not been established historically. A library account explicitly distinguishes oral tradition from documented information about the monastery in Povlja.
Sources: [1]
Stone, knees and investigating the story
Banak and Red svetoga Ivana (‘the Order of St John’) are names for rocky places associated with stories of sitting and prayer. The hollows are interpreted in tradition as imprints. Ivan Ostojić recorded these stories in works on Povlja; their documentation confirms the existence of a tradition, not the miraculous origin of the hollows.
Sources: [1]
A monument in present-day Povlja
The monument to Saint John of Povlja in a public space by the shore is a work by Pero Jakšić. The sculpture gives visible form to local memory. This local John is different from John the Baptist, patron of the parish in Povlja; his stories should not automatically be transferred to the New Testament figure.
