To leave one’s home for a foreign land in order to spread the Gospel message and save souls is a truly heroic task. This week, Fr. Ho speaks of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, a Spaniard missionary to the Americas. Born in 1538, he initially studied law and served as Grand Inquisitor on the Court of Inquisition. Well known his fervour and incorruptibility, he was then ordained a priest and consecrated the Archbishop of Lima. On arriving in Lima, St. Turibius discovered that much of the population were non-Catholics and corruption was rife among the government officials. Unafraid of fighting for change, he told them that Jesus was the Truth and not custom. With his loving preaching, he changed many hearts and convinced many officials to abandon their evil customs. He fought discrimination against the native peoples and promoted consecrating native priests. He learned the native languages and traveled the country himself to spread the Gospel message directly to them. On his deathbed, he gave all his wealth to the poor. Among this archbishop’s flock were two saints – St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima. We pray that these saints may intercede on behalf of the peoples of the Americas.
Spiritual Talk – St. Turibius of Mogrovejo
