Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo (1538-1606)
Image: Samuel Miranda
(EWTN) Turibius (or Turibio) was the second son to the Lord of Mogrovejo and born in the Kingdom of Spain Mayorga and from his earliest years he discovered a strong inclination to charity and it was his delight.
One day seeing a poor Woman street peddler angry because she had lost something out of her pack, Turibius most movingly encouraged her and said that she would not displease God by her anguish and in order to appease her, Turibius gave her money for the value of her loss, which he had begged from his mother for that purpose.
Turibius was very devout to the Blessed Virgin Mary, saying everyday the Rosary, together with fasting every Saturday in her honor. While at school, he would often give away part of his meager dinner to a poor person.
Educated in Law according to Franciscan Media Turibius became a brilliant scholar, subsequently becoming a Professor of Law at the Univ of Salamanca and eventually a Chief Judge.
When the Archdiocese of Peru Lima, required a new leader Turibius was selected to fill that vacancy–he was one of strength, character and holiness of spirit to resolve the conflicts that had infected the area.
Turibius later was ordained as a Priest & Bishop in Peru which he found colonialism at its worst–the Spanish conquerors were guilty of every sort of oppression of the native populace, abuses amongst the clergy were flagrant, so Bishop Turibius first devoted his energies to the needs of the suffering.
Bishop Turibius began the long and arduous visitation of the vast diocese, staying in each place two or three days without neither a place to sleep or sustenance, he made Confession every morning to his Chaplain and celebrated daily Mass with intense fervor.
Among those Bishop Turibius gave the ‘Sacrament of Confirmation’ to were Saint Rose of Lima and possibly Saint Martin de Porres who was a Lay Brother of the Dominican Friary.
In Bishop Turibius 68th yr while visiting in his diocese, he fell sick at Santa Maria del Mar — In his ‘Last Will & Testament’ he bequeathed what he had be distributed to his servants and whatever else remaining be given to the poor. Bishop Turibius was carried to the Church to receive the Holy Viaticum and died this date in 1606
Bishop Turibius was Beatified by Pope Innocent XI in 1679 and Canonized in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII
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