Description

Oil Dedicated to St. Martin de Porres (Patron for Health Care Workers)

St Martin de Porres born in Lima, Peru on December 9, 1579. Martin the illegitimate son to a Spanish gentlemen .

A freed slave from Panama, of African or possibly Native American descent.

At a young age, Martin’s father abandoned him, his mother and his younger sister, leaving Martin to grow up in deep poverty.

After spending just two years in primary school, Martin placed with a barber/surgeon.

He would learn to cut hair and the medical arts.

As Martin grew older, he experienced a great deal of ridicule for being of mixed-race.

In Peru, by law, all descendants of African or Indians not allowed to become full members of religious orders.

Martin, who spent long hours in prayer, found his only way into the community he longed for to ask the Dominicans of Holy Rosary Priory in Lima.

To accept him as a volunteer who performed the most menial tasks in the monastery.

In return, he be allowed to wear the habit and live within the religious community.

Martin 15, he asked for admission into the Dominican Convent of the Rosary in Lima and received as a servant boy.

Moved up to the church officer in charge of distributing money to deserving poor.