Saint Martín de Porres

I was born in 1579 in Lima, Peru, as an illegitimate child to a Spanish gentleman and a freed slave from Panama. My father abandoned the house and I, my mother and my sister were forced to live on our own with great difficulties. As years were passing by, I experienced ridicule for being mixed-race. Furthermore, people of my “kind” were not allowed to become members of  religious orders. I spent long hours in prayer and I asked to join the Dominicans. I was only accepted as a servant. So I stayed as a volunteer from 15 years old up until 1601, when I was allowed to become a Dominican oblate. Then, in 1610, I was accepted as a Dominican lay brother. I had a deep devotion for the Eucharist, and prayed almost constantly. Also, I abstained from eating meat as an act of austerity. I took care for all people, regardless of wealth or race. Beside my work in the infirmary, I distributed food to the poor in my city and established a school. When I was 60 years old, I became very ill with chills and fever. After a year of pain, I died on 3 November, 1639