St. Turibius of Mogrovejo

Their story

Turibius was born in 1538 in Spain and became a brilliant lawyer and professor of law at the University of Salamanca. King Philip II appointed him as a judge in Granada, where he earned a reputation for fairness. Then, in 1579, the king nominated him to be archbishop of Lima, in Peru. Turibius was not even a priest. He protested that he was unworthy, but he finally accepted, was ordained and set sail for the New World. The Archdiocese of Lima was enormous, stretching across mountains, jungles and deserts. Turibius spent most of his years as archbishop traveling through it, often on foot, visiting villages no bishop had ever reached. He learned the native languages so he could speak directly to the people. He saw how Spanish settlers and officials abused the indigenous peoples, and he fought for their rights, even when it made him powerful enemies. Turibius called councils of bishops to reform the Church in South America, and they published a catechism in Spanish and in two native languages, Quechua and Aymara. In 1591 he founded the first seminary in the Americas. He built churches, schools and hospitals and confirmed hundreds of thousands of people, including, according to tradition, St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres. He died on March 23, 1606, while on a visit to a distant part of his diocese. He was canonized in 1726.