Summary
A New Testament preacher and baptizer whose name is connected with Sutivan. He is the patron of parishes in Postira and Povlja; on Brač, he should be distinguished from the locally venerated John of Povlja.
Sutivan and Stivan preserve the name of Saint John in the names of the settlements themselves.
Preaching and baptism
John the Baptist preached repentance and baptized people in the Jordan. Christian tradition calls him the forerunner of Jesus. His ascetic figure, baptism and execution are frequent subjects in religious art; his birth feast is celebrated on 24 June.
Sources: [1]
The name Sutivan and Bunta
Sutivan, called Stivan in the local dialect, takes its name from the Church of St John. On Bunta, the remains of an early Christian basilica are connected with a later small church. The municipality observes the feast of John the Baptist as the town’s day. The present parish church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, so the settlement’s name and the parish’s patron are not the same thing.
Postira, Povlja and two Johns
The parish church in Postira and the Benedictine complex in Povlja are associated with John the Baptist. John of Povlja is a separate figure in local tradition and veneration. Similarity of names does not imply the same biography or justify transferring legends about a local monk to the New Testament saint.
