*We highlight these Saints to inspire our students and contribute to their growth in Catholic education by fostering understanding and appreciation for Catholic values and teachings. We encourage parents to share the stories of these Saints with their children to deepen their spirituality and motivate them to live their faith with conviction, following the examples of these admired role models.*
St. Martin de Porres has had a lasting impact on Catholicism through his perseverance and courageous witness to the faith. He lived in constant humility and let no obstacle, whether personal, societal, or legal, hold him back from living the faith in a profound and unique way. He performed many impressive miracles throughout his life and was well-known for his work serving the destitute communities in his hometown of Lima, Peru.
St. Martin de Porres was born in 1579 in Lima, Peru to a mother who had been freed from slavery in Panama and a father who had abandoned him in his youth. He suffered through a difficult childhood and was not allowed to enter the Dominican order because of a Peruvian law that prevented people, like Martin, who were of African or indigenous descent from entering a religious order.
However, St. Martin did not let this dissuade him. He took on work for the Dominicans completing basic tasks, such as passing out food to the poor and cleaning clothes in the laundry. However, through these seemingly menial acts, St. Martin de Porres performed extraordinary miracles. He was said to have miraculously healed many people that he served throughout his life and to have passed through locked doors to help those suffering from illness. He also was seen levitating while praying and some witnessed light emanating from the room in which he was praying. Due to his deep faith in the Lord and his miraculous presence in the monastery, he was eventually admitted as a Dominican brother against the Peruvian law of the time.
St. Martin de Porres served as an inspiration to countless Catholics through the testimony of faith that he lived out in his life. He persevered and succeeded in never being discouraged against all odds. He was close friends with the beloved St. Rose of Lima and also displayed a deep love for animals. St. Martin de Porres is also the patron saint of barbers due to his time as an understudy under a barber in his youth. Thanks to St. Martin de Porres, we can all learn to live out our faith in a special way, even in the small actions and tasks that seem monotonous and unimportant.
FAMILY ACTIVITY: St. Martin de Porres is a patron saint of animals. A great way for the whole family to honor him is to volunteer at your local animal shelter!