Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo

This week’s Saint of the Week is Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, a lawyer living in Spain in the 1500’s.  He was appointed judge of the inquisition at Granada by Phillip II, King of Spain and must have done a pretty good job because the King appointed him Bishop of Lima Peru, despite never having been a priest or having traveled anywhere even near Peru!  The situation with the Church in Peru was deplorable, and required a leader strong of character.  Despite his initial and understandably strenuous objections to the appointment, Saint Turibius was put through a crash course spanning four weeks and ordained a Bishop.  As it turned out, he fit the bill perfectly.  He personally visited every parish in his diocese, usually by foot.  He built churches, schools and hospitals, established the first seminary in the Americas and published catechisms in the various native languages to better educate the people in the faith.  Saint Turibius confirmed more than a half million people, including Isabel Flores de Oliva, known as Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Martin de Porres!  A tiresome advocate for the poor, he died while visiting a small mountain parish in 1906, after serving 26 years as Bishop.  Saint Turibius became the first Saint of the “New World”.

Feast Day:  March 23

Patron of: Peru, Latin American Bishops, Native Rights, Lawyers 


Saint Turibius, we invoke your intercession to inspire all who share the gospel, in whatever form, to do so with ardour, skill, and charity, using all the means at their disposal, as you so powerfully did in your own life and ministry.

Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, pray for us!

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