Celebrating Black Catholic History Month An African-American Journey to Canonization

By Sandra B. Jordan

November is Black Catholic History Month in the United States. It is a time to emphasize the significant contributions and rich history of Black Catholics, regardless of their country of origin.

Established in 1990 by the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, November was chosen because a number of important dates for Black Catholics fall within the month. This includes the feast day of the Colorado Springs Council for Black Catholics’ patron saint — St. Martin de Porres. St. Martin de Porres, a Peruvian, is the only Black saint from the western hemisphere. It is also a special time to promote awareness of and sharing information about Black Catholic notables, especially African-Americans.

Currently there are several African-Americans who have a cause open for sainthood: Venerable Pierre Toussaint (cause opened in 1968), Venerable Henriette DeLille (1988), Venerable Mary Lange (1991), Venerable Augustus Tolton (2011), Servant of God Julia Greeley (2016), Servant of God Thea Bowman (2018), and the most recent one — Servant of God Martin Maria de Porres Ward (2020).

Franciscan Friar Martin Maria de Porres Ward was born Matthias DeWitte Ward in Boston, Massachusetts in 1918, the oldest of 13 children in a bi-racial family that belonged to the Methodist Church. Later, after the family relocated to Washington DC, Ward began attending St. Augustine Catholic Church while in high school. At age 17 he converted to Catholicism, causing tension and ostracism by some of his family.

Answering the call to religious life, Ward entered Wisconsin’s Salvatorians’ Seminary in 1942 but had to withdraw in 1945 due to a medical complication. Later in 1945, after relocating to New York state, he applied to St. Francis Seminary of the Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.) Conventual on Staten Island. In a letter to the vocation director, Ward mentioned that he was “colored” and would understand if he was not accepted because most seminaries in the United States did not accept African-Americans. The director’s response was that the seminary had never considered accepting colored applicants because none had ever applied.

Ward was accepted into the seminary in 1945 and became the first African-American to join the order. He took the religious name “Martin Maria de Porres” in honor of Friar Martin de Porres (canonized in 1962) and the mother of Jesus.

After two years of study at St. Francis Seminary, Ward completed his studies in philosophy and graduated from St. Anthony-on-the-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer, New York in 1949. His studies in theology continued at St. Anthony-on-the-Hudson until 1955. Ward was ordained to the priesthood in 1955 in Albany, New York.

It was common practice during that time to send new African-American priests to other countries because most U.S. Catholic bishops refused to allow priests of color to serve in their dioceses. Friar Martin volunteered for the friars’ missions in Brazil and arrived in Andrelândia in 1956. He quickly learned Portuguese and became an educator. He spent the rest of his life in various locations in South America in positions that included pastor, chaplain, vocations director, teacher, and parochial vicar.

Friar Martin was described as having a warm and pleasing personality with a sense of humor and a penchant for storytelling. He dedicated himself to the people he served, especially the poor, and practiced the virtues of simplicity, poverty, and humility. He surrounded himself with only the necessities and shared whatever he had with the poor.

In 1985, Friar Martin was transferred back to Andrelândia where he served as spiritual director at the local seminary. In 1995, the people showed their admiration and love for Friar Martin by awarding him the honorary title “Citizen of Andrelândia” for his faithful service in the region.

On June 20, 1999, while celebrating Sunday Mass at the Church of the Rosary in Andrelândia, Friar Martin experienced the symptoms of a heart attack but completed the service. Immediately afterward he was given first aid and transferred to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where he died on June 22, 1999. He was 81 years old. Friar Martin is buried in the place he chose—the small cemetery of the São Francisco de Assis Seminary in Andrelândia.

Spiritual devotion to Friar Martin Maria de Porres Ward began in earnest following his death, especially in Andrelândia. The local Conventual friars began seeking his canonization and received official permission from the bishop of São João del Rei in June 2020.