Saint Martín de Porres biography
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Born on December 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru, to a Spanish nobleman and former black slave, St. Martín de Porres is the patron saint of interracial harmony. Porres entered the Dominican clergy in 1601, although it was quite unusual at the time for someone of mixed race to be received into the religious order. He was known for his vegetarian lifestyle, social work and unique healing powers, and for founding a residence in Lima for orphans and abandoned children. He died in Lima, Peru, on November 3, 1639.