PROVIDENCE — On Monday, Nov. 3 — the Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres — Providence College celebrated the dedication of the St. Martin De Porres, O.P. Center for Health and Human Dignity. The new center was established to serve as a hub for interdisciplinary study, research, and discussion surrounding the most pressing ethical challenges in contemporary healthcare.
During the dedication ceremony, Providence College President, Father Kenneth Sicard, O.P., led the blessing of the new facility and its accompanying, specialized library collection. Attendees also heard from Celia Cussen, Ph.D., Professor of History, University of Chile in Santiago, who delivered a keynote address about the life and legacy of St. Martin De Porres.
The son of a freed Panamanian slave and a Spanish knight became a hero to the people of Lima, Peru, his birthplace, for his compassionate care of the sick and poor. Apprenticed at age 12 to a barber-surgeon, Martin also learned herbal medicine from his mother. After working for several years at a Dominican monastery as a Third Order member, he made his profession as a lay brother in 1603. He founded an orphanage and foundling hospital, ministered to African slaves, practiced great penances and experienced mystical gifts. Martin was carried to his grave by prelates and noblemen and all Peruvians acclaimed him their beloved saint. He is the patron of hairdressers and interracial justice.
