November 3: Saint Martin de Porres
The Apostle of Indigenous Peoples
Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, on December 9, 1579, and was baptized in the Church of Saint Sebastian. In the early years of his life, he lived with his mother—an ex-slave of African descent—and his sister Giovanna, in difficult conditions despite being acknowledged by his father. When Martin was about eight years old, his father, Juan de Porres, a Spanish nobleman, finally decided to take charge of his education, bringing his children with him to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where they could live more comfortably.
Later, when his father was appointed governor of Panama, he brought Martin back to Lima and left his mother enough means to support and educate him. Martin became interested in medicine while spending time with two local pharmacists, Mateo Pastor and Francesca Velez Michel. He continued his training by working in the barbershop of Marcello de Rivera, where he learned techniques of surgery and healing.
At the age of fifteen, Martin felt a religious calling and approached the Dominican Order, which had been active in Lima since the time of the first Bishop of Peru, Vicente Valverde. He entered the Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary, where he was received as a “donado,” that is, a lay helper assigned to the most humble tasks, such as cleaning. This choice displeased his father, but Martin was happy to serve. In his free time, he used his medical knowledge to assist his fellow friars, even caring for those who had once mocked him.
It is said that when the convent fell into severe financial difficulty, the prior was about to sell precious objects to pay off debts. Martin approached him and offered to sell himself as a slave instead. Moved by his humility, the prior refused, saying, “You are not for sale.”
Martin was humble but also learned. Although not formally educated, he showed a deep understanding of the philosophy and theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas. One day, he gave a brilliant answer to a question about God posed by two students, leaving them astonished. Their professor remarked, “Martin has the knowledge of the saints.”
In addition to healing the sick, he preached the Gospel to the poor he met, including the slaves and servants on the Limatambo estate. Because of his dedication and humility, his superiors decided to admit him as a full lay brother on June 2, 1603.
Martin then began to live an even more ascetic life, spending long hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, practicing penance, and meditating on the Passion of Jesus. According to some accounts, he received the gift of ecstasy and was seen lifted from the ground while praying.
He was friends with other holy religious figures, such as Saint John Macías, and his fame spread so widely that even the governor and the viceroy sought his counsel. Yet he continued to devote himself to the poor, especially the Indigenous people. When a plague struck Lima, he cared for as many as sixty friars.
Among his other activities, he continued to work as a barber—a crucial role in such a large convent. His reputation as a healer helped him attract donations from wealthy benefactors who wished to perform acts of charity. With these resources, he was able to equip the infirmary with everything needed, including beds and medicines. He often took in the poor, the sick, and the homeless. One of them, a 14-year-old boy named Giovanni Vásquez, became his assistant and helped distribute alms to impoverished families.
Nobles and churchmen visiting Lima sought him out. One such visitor was Archbishop Feliciano de la Vega, who was cured by Martin when ill. Although the archbishop invited him to go to Mexico, Martin chose to remain in Lima to care for the poor.
His friend and benefactor, Governor Juan de Figueroa, once received a somber warning from him: “Hard times are coming.” A few days later, the governor was struck by illness, slander, and financial loss. Only then did Martin reassure him that, though he would lose much, he would still have enough to live with dignity.
Because of the large number of poor people he served, Martin’s infirmary was located apart from the rest of the convent, but in urgent cases, he brought the sick into his own cell.
Although little is known about how he prepared his medicines, it is said that he gathered herbs at the Limatambo estate, where he probably maintained a small laboratory.
One of his most enduring works was the founding of the College of the Holy Cross, one of the first schools for poor children in the Americas. It was a difficult undertaking: neither the Church nor the civil authorities offered support. Eventually, he found benefactors and succeeded in opening the school, entrusting its management to Mateo Pastor. The school welcomed many orphaned or abandoned children, saving them from a life on the streets.
Martin was also deeply loved for his compassion toward animals. A true story tells of a large wounded dog that entered the infirmary; Martin carefully tended its wounds and, once it recovered, returned it to its owner.
Martin died on the evening of November 3, 1639, surrounded by friars praying for him. The next day, his funeral was attended by Archbishop Feliciano de la Vega of Mexico City and the city authorities. His body was buried in the crypt beneath the chapter hall of the convent.
On January 10, 1945, Pope Pius XII declared him Patron of Social Justice Works in Peru, and on May 6, 1962, Pope John XXIII canonized him. In 1966, Pope Paul VI named him Patron Saint of Barbers.