Feast Day of San Martín de Porres

Feast of San Martín de Porres: November 3rd.

Why is San Martín de Porres one of the patron saint of animals?

Los animales

Tenía el don de comunicarse con los animales, los cuales le obedecían, como a Santa Rosa. Las pinturas lo representan haciendo comer a perro, pericote y gato de un mismo plato. Cuando se enteró de que en el convento un hermano iba a matar a un pernicioso ratón, le pidió que no lo haga. Como si fuese una persona, habló al pericote, que había tomado en sus manos, y le pidió que diga a sus compañeros que no hagan daño y que se retiren a la huerta, que allí les daría de comer.

El animalito se fue y desde entonces los ratones se fueron a la huerta, donde todos los días, viéndole llegar, los roedores daban el encuentro al santo para recibir comida.

Translation:

The Animals:

He had the gift of communicating with the animals and they would obey him, as they did Santa Rosa de Lima (Note: another great saint from Peru). Paintings depict him as having the dog, mice and cat eating from the same dish.

When he found out a brother at the monastery was going to kill the pernicious mice that were overtaking their monastery, he pleaded to the brother not to kill them. He went and spoke to a mouse, which he held in his hand, as if the mouse was human. He asked the mouse to speak to the other mice and ask them not to do any damage but to go out into the field and he would feed them there.

From that moment, the little mice went into the field and everyday they would wait for Fray Martin to approach and they surrounded him, waiting to be fed by him.

Translation: Esther G.
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