Today is March 23, 2023. Today is the Feast Day of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo. St. Turibius was born in Mayorga, Spain on November 16, 1538. Throughout his childhood, he performed various acts of charity, and he was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. He would serve the poor and build altars, and he would fast every Saturday to appease the Blessed Virgin. In fact, St. Turibius would give some of his lunch to the poor. He did this so much that the school had to force him to not give his food to the poor so often.
After studying law at Salamanca, King Philip II appointed St. Turibius as the chief judge of Granada. Although he was a judge, his faith remained as strong as ever. This caught the attention of King Philip. He nominated St. Turibius as archbishop of the archdiocese in Peru. St. Turibius didn’t take it well. He made every argument he could to turn down the nomination, but to no avail.
When St. Turibius arrived in Peru, the archdiocese was in a state of chaos. The archdiocese was overrun with men who had abandoned God for their own ambitions. The generals had become tyrants among the natives and used them as slaves. St. Turibius held an archdiocesan synod and the Third Provincial Council of Lima to reform the archdiocese. Afterwards, the archdiocese was ready to evangelize. For seventeen years, St. Turibius would travel by foot to every corner of the archdiocese no matter how difficult it was; he would not rest until every person had heard the Word of God. Throughout his time in Peru, St. Turibius built a l ot of churches, founded a seminary, and confirmed half a million people including St. Rose de Lima, St. Martin de Porres, and Saint Juan Masía.
St. Turibius died on March 23, 1606. Pope Innocent XI beatified him in 1679, and Pope Benedict XIII canonized him in 1726. I would like to end this post with a reflection. Ask yourself these questions:
- How do I react when I realize God’s plan for me? Do I embrace it or do I hesitate?
- If I embrace it, how far am I willing to go to fulfill His will?
Sources:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-turibius-of-mogrovejo/
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/turibius-de-mogrovejo-791
