Catholics celebrate feast day
of St. Martin de Porres

By Mary Ann Wyand

The Lord speaks to us in many special ways and calls us to worship together regardless of the color of our skin and our culture, Franciscan Father Arturo Ocampo, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Indianapolis, told several hundred people during the archdiocese’s second annual St. Martin de Porres feast day Mass on Nov. 2 at St. Gabriel Church in Indianapolis.

Hispanic and African-American Catholics share a devotion to St. Martin de Porres, and his feast day was an opportunity to bring Catholics from different cultures and archdiocesan parishes together in prayer and song.

For the second year, Divine Word Father Stephan Brown, pastor of St. Rita Parish in Indianapolis, was the principal celebrant for the Mass sponsored by the archdiocesan Commission for Multicultural Ministry.

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein sent his greetings because he was not feeling well last week.

Several Catholics from Peru donated an ornate banner and icon of St. Martin de Porres to the archdiocese, which was placed near the altar during the feast day Mass. The banner was handmade by Juan Migel Diaz Carbajar, a Catholic from Lima, Peru, who is related to St. Mary parishioner Jamie Torpoco of Indianapolis.

The Mass celebrated the life of St. Martin de Porres, who was born in Lima, Peru, to a freed black woman from Panama and a Spanish nobleman. He devoted himself to good works, and was known for his humility, forgiveness and concern for justice. He founded an orphanage, organized fundraising events to gather money for the poor and needy, and housed the poor and the sick.

It is said that, when criticized for giving up his bed to a sick man, he replied, “Compassion, my dear brother, is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap I can easily clean my bedcovers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stains that my harshness toward the unfortunate would create.”

St. Martin de Porres was known as “Martin of Charity” and is the patron saint of nurses and health care assistants. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962 at the Vatican for standing up to racism and injustice, comforting the sick, and providing food, clothing and medicine to the poor.

“I want the Word to nourish me for the rest of my life,” Father Arturo said in his homily. “The Lord is preparing a meal for you right now. It’s the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that is being prepared for you.”

But there’s a lot of work to be done, he said, to bring Hispanic and African-American Catholics together to celebrate the eucharistic liturgy as members of one faith community and as neighbors.

St. Martin de Porres was not accepted by his Spanish brothers and sisters because of his African mother, Father Arturo said, and biracial people were ostracized at the time.

He was a brother but other members of his religious community did not appreciate him, Father Arturo said. “But he always responded with humility and with a smile.”

In his homily, Father Arturo also paid tribute to the late Rosa Parks, a black woman who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man on Dec. 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala.

Her action that day galvanized the civil rights movement, and led to a Supreme Court ruling banning segregation on city public transit vehicles. She died on Oct. 24 at age 92 in Detroit and was mourned by countless Americans.

“We make a big deal out of it and we better,” Father Arturo said. “We better remember what this woman did. We have to remember what St. Martin de Porres did—just like what Rosa Parks did—and we cannot forget it. She sat down for justice. You, my brothers and sisters, have to stand up for justice.”

There is a lot of work to be done in Indianapolis, he said, to resolve problems in the community and to promote reconciliation between people of different cultures.

“There should be tears in our eyes because we are not in fact celebrating Mass together,” Father Arturo said. “There are problems between our brothers and sisters of brown skin and brown skin. What’s the difference? We are brothers and sisters. We have one Father. All of us belong to the same family.”

Many people responded with an “Amen.”

Pointing to an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his stole, Father Arturo called her his mother.

“This is Miss Mexico of 1531,” he said, “and don’t you forget it. Not only is she Miss Mexico, she is the Empress of the Americas. She is our mother because she has given birth to Jesus in this world. She is your mother, and she is mine.”

God offers us richness in the Eucharist, Father Arturo said. “That is the food that you and I need. Let us build bridges between brothers and sisters. You and I have a lot of work to do. Let us love one another. What is the greatest commandment? You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with your whole mind.”

If you follow that commandment, he said, there won’t be any room for the devil in your life.

St. Martin de Porres was called “Friar Broom” in Spanish, Father Arturo said. “That broom is going to help us free our minds, our hearts, our community, our Church. That broom is going to help us to begin to build a community where brothers and sisters of color can live as sons and daughters of the one God. You have a brother, and I do too, and his name is sweet. His name is Jesus. He’s right here so get out the tissues and rejoice in the Lord always.” †