Saint Martin de Porres

Who is he?

Saint Martin de Porres was a lay brother, that is, a religious who is not a priest, of the Dominican Order in Lima, Peru. He is famous for his humility and his love for everyone. He is a saint for people of every color.

Life story

Martin was born on 9 December 1579 in Lima. His father was a Spanish nobleman, and his mother, Ana Velázquez, was a woman of African descent who had once been a slave. Because he was of mixed race, people often looked down on him from the time he was little. When he was a child, his father did not live with the family, and he and his mother were very poor.

When he was a bit older, he learned to be a barber and to treat the sick. In those days, barbers also knew how to bandage wounds and give medicine. He used this skill to help the poor, often without charging them.

At 15, he asked to enter the Dominican friary in Lima. Because he was of mixed race, at first he was only accepted as a servant in the friary. He cheerfully swept, washed clothes and cared for the sick. Nine years later, the friars saw how holy he was and let him make vows as a lay brother.

In the friary, he was put in charge of caring for the sick. He gave himself to each person with great care, whether a friar, a poor person from the street or a slave. He also shared food with the hungry and helped care for orphans. According to tradition, he loved animals too, and the dogs, cats and mice he fed ate from the same dish without fighting. Also according to tradition, God worked many miracles through his prayers.

He died on 3 November 1639. In 1962, Pope John XXIII canonized him.

Why is he a saint?

Saint Martin did not do great things that people admired. He became holy through humility, through praying for long hours before Jesus crucified, and through lovingly serving everyone as his brothers and sisters. When people looked down on him, he did not hold a grudge, but answered with kindness.

A lesson for you

• Cheerfully do the jobs few people notice: sweep the classroom, clear the table, pick up litter, out of love for God.
• Never make fun of anyone because of their skin color, their situation or how they look: everyone is a child of God.
• Be gentle with animals, because God made them too.