Peru: St. Rose of Lima's face to be reconstructed

The "real" faces of St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617), St. Martin of Porres (1579-1639) and St. Juan Macías (1585-1645) are soon to be reconstructed using the latest medical imaging techniques and forensics expertise. The skulls of the three Peruvian saints who died four centuries ago are kept in the church of St. Dominic in Lima, Peru, and were handed over in early August to a team of odontologists and forensics professionals at the San Martin de Porres University in Lima, and to a Brazilian team of forensics and juridical anthropology.

According to the website Religion digital on August 24, the goal is to "determine the density of the soft tissue". According to dentist Jésus Quiroz when questioned by the Spanish media, "the density of the tissues has to be determined for a facial reconstruction, in order to reconstruct the person's real face." This reconstruction is of the greatest interest in the case of these three saints, since no portrait was made during their lifetime. Three busts of the saints are to be made and delivered to the convent of St. Dominic in Lima in November, to be put on exposition.

(sources: apic/periodistadigital – DICI no.320 dated Sept. 11, 2015)