| On Nov. 3, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Martin de Porres, a Peruvian Dominican brother who lived a life of humble service and charity and became the first Black saint of the Americas. The Life of Martin de Porres His father refused to acknowledge him. Martin born in Lima, Peru in 1579-the son of a Spanish nobleman and former Panamanian black slave. His father, Don Juan de Porres, refused to publicly acknowledge the boy as his own because Martin was black, like his mother. Being biracial would prove challenging for Martin throughout his life. READ MORE |
