Saint Turibius

Building off of yesterday's post on St. Rose of Lima, today we will hear about her Spiritual Director, St. Turibius.  St. Turibius was born in Spain and educated as a lawyer (yes, a lawyer who became a saint!).  He had no intention of a vocation to the priesthood or any thoughts of a career as a missionary, but God had other ideas.  When the Spanish colony of Peru needed an Archbishop, Turibius was chosen as the man for the job.  Although he strenuously objected, King Phillip would not take no for an answer.  He was ordained a priest and then consecrated bishop in record time and sent half-way around the world to his new diocese.

Although his diocese covered eighteen thousand square miles (compare that to Toledo Diocese at 8,222 square miles), St. Turibius made the long and arduous visitation of his diocese three times in the quarter century that he was bishop.  He visited every parish and mission -- traveling by foot the whole way, scaling the Andes and crossing rivers and jungles.  He also had the catechism translated into the two most common native languages and insisted that priests assigned to Indian parishes be fluent in the native tongues to better serve his flock.

St. Turibius is an example for all of us in respecting the rights of native peoples.  His feast day is March 23.