Saint Martin de Porres

Martin was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579, the son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed Black woman from Panama. Mocked for his mixed race, he trained as a barber and healer and joined the Dominicans, first as a helper and later as a brother. He nursed the sick, fed the hungry, founded an orphanage and was a close friend of Saint Rose of Lima. He was canonized in 1962.

Many US parishes, especially in Black Catholic communities, are named for him, and he is often invoked in prayers for an end to racism. Franciscan Media's reflection on his life centers on forgiveness and dignity. He is usually shown with a broom, a sign of the humble work he loved.