Posted February 12, 2022
This week we look back on the life of St. Martin de Porres—the only Black Catholic saint from the Western Hemisphere—who also lends his name to our family center in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood.
Life & Work
Born in Lima in 1579, Martín de Porres Velázquez was raised by his mother, a freed slave from Panama. His father was a Spanish nobleman who, upon the birth of Martín's sister, abandoned the family.
Martín grew up in poverty and was stigmatized for his illegitmate birth and mixed race. As a young boy he became an apprentice to a barber-surgeon but longed to join the Dominican religious order.
The only way for Martín to join the Dominicans at that time was as a "lay helper," since Peruvian law barred those of African and Indigenous descent from becoming full members of religious orders.
After years of service, Martín was considered an exception and was allowed to take his vows as a Dominican lay brother. He later became assigned to the infirmary, where he was prasied for treating anyone who was sick, from Spanish nobles to African slaves.
During his lifetime, Martín also founded an orphanage and children's hosptial, in additional to an animal shelter where he treated stay dogs and cats.
Canonization & Patronage
Canonized in 1962, St. Martin de Porres is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, social justice and all those seeking racial harmony. Along with St. Benedict the Moor, St. Martin de Porres is also the patron saint of African-Americans. His feast day is November 3rd.
Our Family Center
Catholic Charities' St. Martin de Porres Family Center provides a large array of services to meet the needs of the Glenville neighborhood. These include Emergency Financial Assistance, Older Adult Meal Delivery, After-School Programming, Food Pantry Services and more.
Annually, the center serves more than 2,000 families in the community.
To learn more about the family center and all of its programs, click here.
Part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
