St Turibius of Mogrovejo (1538-1606) missionary bishop
A layman appointed archbishop
Turibius was
born at Mogrovejo in northern Spain, and from his infancy was a pious
child and generous to the poor.
He studied at Valladolid and
Salamanca. King Philip II of Spain made him a judge of the Inquisition
at Granada and he discharged his duties with such integrity and prudence
that at the age of 43, though still a layman, he appointed him as
archbishop of Lima, Peru.
He had to be rushed through the four minor
orders and the three major orders of deacon, priest and bishop in a
matter of weeks.
An intrepid missionary
Arriving in Lima in May
1581, he directed the Church's apostolate to the native population.
He
learned the local language, Quechua, and did most of his apostolic
journeys on foot.
His aim was to instruct his people and hold synods to
settle and maintain discipline. Many of the Spanish generals in Peru
were men of avarice and cruelty. Turibius fearlessly denounced injustice
and vice.
His concern for the native population was not shared by the
Spanish civil authorities and even many in the Church. They often
thwarted him in the discharge of his duty.
Training clergy
He founded schools and hospitals,
as well as churches.
As a missionary he had enormous success mainly
because he took the trouble to learn native dialects. In 1591 he founded
the first seminary for training clergy in the Americas.
This had a
salutary influence in other South American countries.
His charity
extended to the Spanish as well as the indigenous population.
Influence
Turibius personally baptised and
confirmed about half a million people, including two of South America's
best known saints, Rose of Lima and Martin de Porres.
He died on Holy
Thursday 1606 and was canonised in 1672.
He is the patron saint of Peru.