Martin de Porres
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| St. Martin de Porres | |
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| Martin of Charity; the Saint of the Broom | |
| Born | December 9, 1579 in Lima, Peru |
| Died | November 3, 1639 in Lima, Peru |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholicism |
| Beatified | 1837 by Gregory XVI |
| Canonized | May 6, 1962 by Pope John XXIII |
| Major shrine | Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, Lima, Peru; St. Martin De Porres National Shrine in Memphis, Tennessee |
| Feast | November 3 |
| Attributes | a dog, a cat, a bird, and a mouse together from a same dish;broom,crucifix,rosary |
| Patronage | African-Americans, barbers, bi-racial people, diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, black people, hair stylists, hairdressers, hotel-keepers, innkeepers, inter-racial justice, mixed-race people, mulattoes, Negroes paupers, Peru, poor people, public education, public health, public schools, race relations, racial harmony, social justice, state schools, television |
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St. Martín de Porres (December 9, 1579--1639) was a Dominican friar who was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized on May 6, 1962 by Pope John XXIII. His feast day is November 3.
He was born in Lima, Peru, the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a young freed slave woman, possibly Afro-Peruvian, born in Panama. He grew up in poverty, and at the age of 11 was taken in by the Dominicans as a servant. As his duties grew he was promoted to almoner, and then put in charge of the infirmary. His piety and miraculous cures led his superiors to drop the racial limits on admission to the Order and he was made a full Dominican brother. It is said that when his priory was in debt, he implored them: "I am only a poor mulatto. Sell me. I am the property of the order. Sell me."
His work on behalf of the poor was tireless: he established an orphanage and a children's hospital. He maintained an austere lifestyle, which included fasting and forswearing meat. His devotion to prayer was notable even by the pious standards of the age. Among the many miracles attributed to him were those of levitation, bilocation, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures and an ability to communicate with animals. It is said that he also was able to feed a dog, a cat, and a mouse together from a same dish; the three didn't fight among themselves. [citation needed]
In iconography, Martin de Porres is often depicted with a broom, since he considered all work to be sacred no matter how menial. It is also shown with him the dog, the cat and the mouse.
He was a friend of St. John de Massias and Saint Rose of Lima. He died in Lima in 1639.
The district of San Martín de Porres in Lima was named in honor of this saint.
