Thomas Mason IV speaks in the courtyard after a Mass for St. Martin de Porres Nov. 3 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
By Dan Russo
Editor
Thanksgiving can be a joyful time when families get together to count blessings, but conflict is often on the menu. When relatives with different views on politics or some other topic get into a heated argument, the meal can devolve into a battle.
If we encounter division in our individual homes or our nation in general during the coming holiday season, I think it’d be a good idea to draw inspiration from the life of St. Martin de Porres.
Thomas A. Mason IV, president of the St. Martin de Porres Society at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport, was the guest on the latest episode of the Catholic Messenger Conversations Podcast. The group, marking its 40th anniversary this year, educates people about the contributions of Black Catholics, does charity work and upholds the principals of universal brotherhood embodied by their patron. Their mission includes promoting harmony among people of different races.
“(St. Martin de Porres) was a Dominican brother out of Lima, Peru,” said Mason. “His father was Spanish nobility, and his mother was believed to be Peruvian of African descent. At the time, you couldn’t be a person of color and … be part of the clergy. So, Martin was sent to be a barber by trade. But he just had a love for God, and he really wanted to be a Dominican brother, and they would not let him do it. Finally they did let him in. Even then, people treated him horribly. But he still said, you know what? My purpose is to help people and to take care of people. And he did all that. So he’s the patron saint of racial unity. He’s the patron saint of barbers. And you’ll see him a lot of times sweeping with a broom, because one of his sayings was, that even sweeping with a broom could be a prayer if you can offer that to God.”
The saint could have become consumed with anger and been vengeful. Instead, his deep faith in a loving God gave him inner-peace. Mason described how his strength in the face of adversity showed the people around him what Jesus meant when he told us to love our enemies. It’s a legacy we need to tap into today.
There are other heros who, like St. Martin, could have held grudges, but decided not to. Squanto is one of them. The member of the Pawtuxet tribe played a critical role in bringing about the first Thanksgiving. When Squanto, also known as Tisquantum, met the Pilgrims, they were starving. Of the 102 people who came over on the Mayflower, 45 of the group died during the winter of 1620-1621. These faithful Christians were fleeing oppression in their homeland. After a hard voyage and winter, they needed a miracle. Out of the wilderness stepped an answer to prayers — a native who spoke fluent English and was willing to help. Squanto taught the Pilgrims farming, fishing and hunting techniques that were essential to their survival. He also helped the newcomers negotiate a peace treaty with the Wampanoag tribe that lasted half a century.
Years before, English men had kidnapped Squanto and 16 other Pawtuxet and sold them as slaves in Spain. Franciscan friars saved Squanto from slavery by paying a ransom, educated him, and taught him the Catholic faith. He was baptized. Some historians believe he converted. Squanto eventually returned to his village. When he got there, everyone in his tribe had died from a disease brought over from Europe. Given these circumstances, it would have been understandable if Squanto decided not to help the Pilgrims. He refused to become bitter. Without him, the Thanksgiving feast, which included about 50 English settlers and 90 natives, would never have happened.
St. Martin de Porres, Squanto and the Pilgrims show us that it is possible to overcome what may seem like overwhelming divisions. They also remind us that even if we can’t avoid a conflict, God can help us maintain our peace inside, even during a trial. If you need a break after tension around the table this Thanksgiving, consider listening to our interview with Thomas Mason IV. The Catholic Messenger Conversations podcast is on our website or wherever you get podcasts.
(Dan Russo is editor of The Catholic Messenger. He can be reached at russo@davenportdiocese.org.)
