St. Turibius of Mogrovejo was born in 1538 to a noble family in Spain. Even in his childhood, he regularly engaged in prayer, fasting, and charity. Turibius had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, prayed to her daily, and fasted every Saturday in her honor. He studied law and became a lawyer and then a professor at Salamanca. Turibius’ brilliance quickly became known and caught the attention of King Phillip II, who appointed him the Grand Inquisitor in Granada in 1571. During this time, Philip II nominated him for the vacant Lima archbishopric despite his strong protests.
Turibius was ordained to the priesthood in 1578 in Granada, and Pope Gregory XIII named him on May 16, 1579, as the Archbishop of Lima. He arrived in Peru in 1581 and soon demonstrated a deep zeal to reform the archdiocese and a determination to do all in his power to aid the poor and defend the rights of the Indians, who suffered severely under Spanish occupation. Turibius managed to make three visitations to every parish and community in his diocese under the rugged and dangerous conditions of Peru. He built many churches, baptized and confirmed half a million people, and ensured that Spaniards and indigenous were equally cared for.
Turibius implemented the Council of Trent decrees and made evangelization a core theme in his episcopal career. The archbishop became seriously ill in 1606. He sensed his imminent death and decreed that his possessions should be distributed to the poor. St. Turibius died on March 23, 1606. His humility, zeal for souls, fidelity to the law, gifts of administration, concern for human dignity, and fatherly heart enabled God to plant the seed of faith in the hearts of many, the fruit still being borne today.
St. Turibius, intercede for us, that we may dedicate ourselves entirely to spreading the message of Christ in ways that deeply resonate with people, leading their hearts to open fully to Him.
Prepared and updated by:
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.
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