St. Martin de Porres
St. Martin was born as Juan Martin De Porres, who was born in Lima, Peru on December 9th in 1579, and was also the illegitimate son to Spanish nobleman and a black slave. He grew up in poverty; when his mother could not support him and his sister, Martin was confided to a primary school for two years, then placed with a barber/surgeon to learn the medical arts. This caused him great joy, though he was only ten years old, for he could exercise charity to his neighbor while earning his living. Already he was spending hours of the night in prayer, a practice which increased rather than diminished as he grew older. Until his death he would flagellate himself three times every night, for his own failings and for the conversion of pagans and sinners. At the age of 15 he asked for admission to the Dominican Convent of the Rosary in Lima and was received first part of their Third Order. His piety and miraculous cures led his superiors to drop the racial limits on admission to the Order, and he...