Saint Martin de Porres

Saint Martin de Porres was born of John de Porres, a Spanish nobleman and Knight of the Order of Alcantara, and a black free woman, Anna Velazquez.

Martin's father was not very happy to find his child was black. He did not want to be connected with the child in any way.

As a matter of fact, on the baptismal record there was no mention of the father at all. The Baptismal certificates read only "Martin, son of an unknown father." But some years later, he officially acknowledged Martin as being ...