While Martin de Porres grew up without a father’s care, he didn’t let the difficulties of his early years cast a shadow over his life. Guided by a selfless spirit of compassion, this Dominican lay brother lovingly served all of God’s creatures, caring for those society left behind.
As we celebrate the Memorial of St. Martin de Porres on November 3, we invite you to discover five facts about his life and legacy.
1. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people.
Martin de Porres was born out of wedlock in Lima, Peru in 1569, to a Spanish man and a formerly enslaved Peruvian woman. His father enjoyed a position of power as governor and sought to distance himself from his mixed-race son, leaving his mother to raise him. As a young man, Martin would later face discrimination because of his race.
2. He originally trained to be a barber.
When he was just 12 years old, Martin began training to be a barber – a profession which, at the time, entailed surgical procedures such as tooth pulling and bloodletting in addition to cosmetic services. About three years later, Martin became a full-time volunteer with the Dominicans in Lima. Though he wanted to join the Dominican Order, at this time, Peruvian Law barred persons with African or Native American heritage from entering religious communities. It wasn’t until he was 24 years old that Martin was allowed to profess vows as a Dominican lay brother, after the prior disregarded the Peruvian laws.
3. He founded an orphanage and a hospital for abandoned infants.
Martin initially served the Dominicans by working as a janitor, but was soon reassigned after his other skills were noticed. He became an invaluable medical assistant, serving as head of the infirmary and distinguishing himself with his knack for healing and use of herbal remedies. Martin went on to found an orphanage and a hospital for abandoned infants, and his medical services also expanded to the streets of Lima, where he would provide care for the homeless. Occasionally, he would even bring them back to his own room to nurse them back to health.
4. He is the patron saint of social justice.
Not only did Martin minister to the ailing and impoverished, but being of African heritage himself, he also had a particular compassion for enslaved people, often fulfilling the basic needs their overseers neglected.
5. He founded an animal shelter.
Throughout all his endeavors, Martin demonstrated the utmost love and charity – even towards animals. In addition to his work in hospitals and social justice, he also started an animal shelter at his sister’s house to care for cats and dogs.
St. Martin de Porres passed away at age 60 on November 3, 1639, leaving behind a legacy of love for all God’s creatures. You can find him portrayed in the Basilica in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, the Second Coming mosaic, and the Trinity Dome.
Sources:
Butler’s Lives of Saints, ed. Bernard Bangley.
“St. Martin de Porres,” University of Notre Dame.
The Way of Saints, Dr. Tom Cowan.
