Biography · Biography & Culture
Martin de Porres Ward
1918–1999
Brazil
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Martin Maria de Porres Ward, O.F.M. Conv. (born Matthias DeWitte Ward; March 20, 1918 – June 22, 1999) was an African-American Catholic priest and Franciscan friar who served as a missionary in Brazil for more than forty years. He was the first African American to join the Conventual Friars Minor.
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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13