Feast day of St Martin de Porres (1579-1639)






Quite appropriately for a public health student, today is the feast day of St Martin de Porres, whose patronage includes public health as well as race relations, poor people, social justice, and multiracial people.

Martin was born of a Spanish nobleman and a freed African slave. He was born in Lima, Peru, forty years after the invasion and destruction of the Inca Empire. His father is said to have been disappointed that Martin inherited his mother's dark skin, and neglected him and his sister. Martin entered the Dominican Order as a tertiary at fifteen, and later became a brother with vows. His piety led his superiors to drop racial limits on admission to the Order. He also apprenticed to a barber-surgeon.

Surgery was primitive in his day, but he had a vast knowledge of herbal medicines. He gave free treatment to Lima's poor. He also begged for food and clothing from wealthy families, and distributed it to the poor. He opened an orphanage for abandoned children, and staffed it with the best teachers, nurses and guardians he could hire. He also planted fruit orchards for the poor. (Gateley and Lentz, 2003). It was also reported that sick animals came to him for healing.

There is a legend about some rats at his monastery.

"It is said that the prior, a reasonable man, objected to the rodents. He ordered Martin to set out poison for them. Martin obeyed, but was very sorry for the rats. He went out into the garden and called softly--and out came the rats. He reprimanded them for their bad habits, telling them about the poison. He further assured them that he would feed them every day in the garden, if they would refrain from annoying the prior. This they agreed upon. He dismissed the rodents and forever after, they never troubled the monastery." (St Patrick's, DC)

The Roman Catholic Church usually emphasizes his piety and humility - sometimes perhaps too much. It is said that when his priory was in debt, he implored them: "I am only a poor mulatto. Sell me. I am the property of the order. Sell me." Had his superiors done that, they would have placed themselves in danger of judgment, no matter what the values of the time were.

St Martin is usually depicted as holding a broom, because no work was too menial for him. Indeed, we as future public health professionals should always remember and emulate St Martin's service to the least fortunate. Societal problems like racism, homophobia and sexism are all around us, and they are detrimental to public health. Let us confront them wherever we serve.

References:

http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1103.htm#mart

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=306

Robert Lentz and Edwina Gateley, Christ in the Margins, Orbis Books, 2003