Father Lorenzo Ato celebrated a Mass in Spanish in Honor of the Saints of Peru, on Sunday, July 23, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, telling the faithful that “humility shone in them; they always confessed as sinners before the Lord. And we are here also as sinners to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, with all of our humility.”      

The honored saints include St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima, who were friends and members of the Dominican Order. Father Ato was born and raised in Peru.  

“You, Lord, are good and merciful,” Father Ato, parochial vicar at St. Anselm, the Bronx, and consultant to archdiocesan Hispanic Ministry, said during the homily in the afternoon liturgy, citing the day’s readings and noting the importance of thanking God for the blessings He has granted us.       

Father Ato noted that the gathering was being held “to celebrate the lives of the saints of Peru,” and to send greetings “of peace and love” to all Peruvian brothers and sisters in the New York area, in Peru, and throughout the world. And he spoke of Christ being “el buen sembrador,” (the good sower) in our lives, the good sower of salvation. 

“We know that evil is present in the world, just as good is present,” said Father Ato, who is also archdiocesan director of Pastoral Ministries, noting the importance of maintaining a strong faith and trusting in the Lord in our struggles against evil. “Jesus is the sower of the good seed…Dear brothers and sisters, we are not alone; the grace of God encourages us. And in this celebration of the saints, I am grateful for their lives – these men and women who help us (realize) the seed of the grace of God…May God bless Peru, the United States, and all the nations of the world.” 

The gathering was also held in celebration of the independence of Peru, with New York-based Peruvian diplomats assisting in the Mass (Peruvian independence from Spain was declared on July 28, 1821). Marita Landaveri, consul general of Peru in New York, gave closing remarks of gratitude. 

St. Rose of Lima was born in 1586 in Lima to Spanish colonists, with the name Isabel Flores de Olivia. She was nicknamed “Rose” for her exceptional beauty. At her confirmation in 1597, Isabel officially took the name of Rose. When she turned 20, she joined the Third Order of St. Dominic as a lay member. St. Rose died in 1617 at age 31. 

 St. Martin de Porres Velázquez, OP, was a lay brother of the Dominican Order. He was born in 1579 also in Lima, as the out-of-wedlock son of a Spanish conquistador and a freed slave from Panama, of African and possibly Native American descent. He died in 1639 at age 59.  

The other Saints of Peru honored at St. Patrick’s Cathedral were:  

St. Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo, archbishop of Lima; born in Spain (Peru was his adopted country). Died in 1606.

St. Francisco Sanchez Solano Jimenez, OFM, Franciscan priest, born in Spain (Peru was his adopted country). Died in 1610.

St. Juan Macias, OP, Dominican lay brother; born in Spain (Peru was his adopted country) Died in 1645. 

St. Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran; lay member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, born in Ecuador (Peru was her adopted country). Died in 1869.