St. Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. His father was a Spanish gentleman and his mother a black freed-woman from Panama. At age fifteen, he became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary at Lima and spent his whole life there. He worked as a barber, did farm labor work in the almond groves and worked in the hospice and hospital. Martin had many graces bestowed upon him by the spiritual world. He was able to experience aerial flights and bilocation.

St. Martin’s love for humans and animals, including rodents, was well known. He created a shelter and a cats and dogs hospital at his sister’s house. St Martin was an exceptional personality and one of my favorite saints to study. His spiritual wisdom shines through his activities and is demonstrated with many examples. He solved his sister’s marriage problems, raised a dowry for his niece in the short period of three day’s and resolved many theological problems for the learned of his Order and for bishops. St. Martin was a close friend of St. Rose of Lima. Saint Martin died November 3, 1639 and was canonized on May 6, 1962. His feast day is November 3.