|
Also Known as: Toribio of
Turribius of Lima, Turibius de Mongrovejo; Torbibio Alfonso de Mongroveio
Born in Mayorga, León, Spain, on November 16, 1538; died at Santa (Sana)
near Lima, Peru, on March 26 (or 23), 1606; beatified by Pope Innocent XI
on June 28, 1679; canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726; feast day
formerly on April 27.
Turibius (Toribio) Alphonsus was the son of Don Luis Alfonso de Mogrovejo
and Dona Ana de Robles y Moran. Although he was devoted from a young age,
he had no plans to become a priest. He studied at Valladolid and
Salamanca, and was such a successful student that he became a professor of
law at the University of Salamanca. In February 1571, although he was
still a layman, King Philip II appointed him the chief judge of the
ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition at Granada.
In 1580, when the authorities required an archbishop of strong character
to work to convert the Peruvians of Lima, they selected Turibius. He was
horrified by this decision, and he presented the canons forbidding the
promotion of laymen to Church offices to support his contention. He was
overruled, however, was ordained priest, consecrated bishop, and arrived
in Lima, Peru, on May 24, 1581.
The saint proved to be a wise selection because he was a most zealous
shepherd of souls. Upon his arrival he was confronted with an enormous
diocese of 18,000 square-miles--his first visitation took him seven
years--and one in which the Spanish were guilty of mistreatment of the
native population. Undaunted he began his work, traversing his entire
diocese three times, generally on foot because there were no roads,
defenseless, and often alone, exposed to tempests, torrents, deserts, wild
beasts, tropical heat, and fevers.
He came into immediate conflict with the secular authorities over the
treatment of the Quechuans, whose rights he defended and whose dialects he
learned to speak. He found that many of the baptized Indians knew little
or nothing about Christianity and proceeded to evangelize them. He fought
injustice and vice, among the clergy as well as the laymen, and succeeded
in eliminating many of the worst abuses. At the same time, he helped
Spaniards who were too proud to ask for help in such a way that they were
not aware of his assistance.
He himself baptized and confirmed nearly a million souls. He continuously
studied the various Indian dialects to assist in converting the native
population. Among his flock were Saint Rose of Lima, whom he befriended
and confirmed, Saint Francis Solanus, Saint Martin de Porres, and Saint
John Massias.
He founded many churches, religious houses, and hospitals, and, in 1591,
founded the first American seminary in Lima. He also assembled 13 diocesan
synods. His favorite topic when preaching was: "Time is not our own and we
must give a strict accounting of it."
Turibius fell ill at Pacasmayo but worked to the end. On one of his
journeys he arrived at Sana in dying condition; he dragged himself to the
sanctuary and there received the viaticum, dying almost immediately
thereafter. He left his belongings to his servants and the rest of his
property to the poor.
His cultus was strongly celebrated in Latin America on April 27, until his
feast was added to the universal calendar on March 23. He was selected for
this worldwide cultus as a type of pioneering missionary and reforming
bishop, and as a representative of South America, whose enormous Catholic
population is often forgotten (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Farmer,
Schamoni, White).
In art, Saint Turibius is portrayed as a bishop kneeling on the altar
steps, surrounded by angels (Roeder). Saint Turibius is the patron saint
of bishops of Latin American (White).
Born: 1538 at Mayorga, Leon, Spain
Died: 1606 at Santa, Peru
Beatified: 2 July 1679 by Pope Innocent XI
Canonized: 1726
Patronage: Latin American bishops, native rights, Peru
source:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0323.htm#turi
source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintt11.htm |
