St. Martin de Porres

Book excerpt: The life and works of Martin de Porres Velázquez, a Peruvian lay brother of the Dominican Order born December 9, 1579 in Lima, Peru to Ana Velázquez, a freed slave from Panama, and Don Juan de Porres, a Spanish nobleman. De Porres worked in the ghettos of Lima, Peru among poor whites, blacks, Indians and mestizos. Illustrations include artwork by Rev. Norbert Georges, as well as photos of the canonization of de Porres on May 6, 1962. De Porres, who was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII, is particularly notable as he was the first person of color to be sainted. De Porres is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, and all those seeking racial harmony.