November 3--St. Martin de Porres, Religious

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Humility is the hallmark of holiness. Such is true for today’s saint. St. Martin de Porres was born of a Spanish conquistador and a freed slave woman in 1579. He became a lay brother in Lima, Peru. He was trained as a physician, but he also had the gift of healing. His monastery became a place of healing for the poor of Peru.

But where does humility come in? St. Martin did not want anyone to know of his gift of healing, so he would use an herb or some other device to hide his gift. However, he was found out by the Archbishop of Mexico, who was passing through Lima. The archbishop was in great pain and suffering from a fever. He knew of St. Martin’s healing ability and sent for him. The Dominican superior sent him immediately to the archbishop before St. Martin could gather his healing materials. When he arrived at the archbishop’s residence, the archbishop ordered him to reach out his hand. St. Martin did not want to, but the archbishop required obedience of St. Martin. He stretched out his hand and put it on the archbishop’s chest, taking away his pain. The archbishop required him to leave his hand on his chest and his fever and illness disappeared. St. Martin was embarrassed at this and retreated to the monastery.

As Pope St. John XXIII remarked of him at his canonization in 1962: "He tried with all his might to redeem the guilty; lovingly he comforted the sick; he provided food, clothing and medicine for the poor; he helped, as best he could, farm labourers and Negroes, as well as mulattoes, who were looked upon at that time as akin to slaves: thus he deserved to be called by the name the people gave him: 'Martin of Charity.'"

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March 23—St. Turibius de Mongrovejo, Bishop

Saint Who?  St. Turibius was one of the first saints of the Western Hemisphere.  He was archbishop of Lima, Peru from 1580-1606, home to St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres.  But before he was assigned to Lima, he first was ordained bishop after just being ordained priest.  Correct, he was drafted to be the archbishop of Lima when he was still a layman!  But the reason he was drafted was because of his ability as a lawyer and judge in Spain.  The Church needed someone beyond reproach to clean up the ecclesiastical and colonial mess of the conquistadors. 

When he arrived in Peru he walked to Lima, 600 miles away, teaching and baptizing as he went.  He traversed his diocese three times, baptizing and confirming nearly 500,000 natives.  He also challenged the governors and promoted the rights of the native peoples against their Spanish overlords.  He built roads, schoolhouses, hospitals, chapels, convents, and the first seminary in the Western Hemisphere in Lima.

St. Turibius was a pioneer in protecting native rights and ministering to their needs.  Not all of Spain was bent on the gold and glory of conquest.  He was concerned with God and how to bring God to these people.  It was not a matter of imposing a foreign god upon a defeated people; it was a matter of sharing the message of the love of the true God to those who had never heard of him.  He was their protector against the corruption and greed of the conquistadors.  Who do we protect?  To whom do we minister?  With whom do we share the message of God?  St. Turibius de Mongrovejo is not Saint Who? but rather, Saint Wow!