SAINT FEAST DAY 16 DECEMBER: BL. PHILIP SIPHONG ONPHITHAH

BLESSED PHILIP SIPHONG ONPHITHAH, MARTYR, AND THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF THAILAND

[On] December 16, the Church remembers the Blessed Martyrs of Thailand. In December 1939, the government of the far northern village of Songkhon, Siam (now Thailand), ordered Catholics, under the penalty of death, to deny their Catholic faith.

"YOU MUST NOT MENTION GOD HERE, ELSE I'LL KILL YOU ALL"

Blessed Philip Siphong Onphithah, a schoolteacher, assumed leadership of the Church in the village during this time of persecution. When he was summoned to go to the sheriff’s office, his wife and children urged Blessed Philip not to go. Nonetheless, Blessed Philip went, but he never returned. On December 15 Blessed Philip was taken into a nearby forest and was shot by government officials.

THE POLICE VISITED THEIR CONVENT

Blessed Agnes Phila and Blessed Lucy Khambang, both Religious Sisters, picked up the torch of teaching the local children the Catholic Faith. On Christmas Day, 1939, the police chief of Sangkhon visited their convent and furiously threatened the Sisters there, and some teenagers who wished to join the Catholic Church [Agatha Phutta, Cecilia Butsi, Bibiana Khampai, and Maria Phon]. He said, ‘I have told you many times not to speak about Jesus. You must not mention God here, otherwise I’ll kill you all.’

The Sisters challenged the police chief, and assured him that they would not relinquish their Catholic Faith, even under the threat of death. That night Blessed Agnes wrote a letter to the police chief. It read, ‘We profess that the religion of Christ is the only true religion… We are ready to give back our lives to God, who had given them to us. We do not want to be the prey of the devil. Please open the door of heaven to us.’

"WE PROFESS THAT THE RELIGION OF CHRIST IS THE ONLY TRUE RELIGION"

On the day after Christmas, the police returned to the convent. The Sisters and the teenagers were to walk to the Mekong River, where they would be shot. Blessed Agnes argued with them that they all wanted to die on the holy ground of the parish cemetery.

"YOU MAY KILL US BUT YOU CANNOT KILL THE CHURCH BECAUSE YOU CANNOT KILL GOD"

The police accepted this and everyone left the convent singing hymns and praying the Psalms. In the cemetery Blessed Agnes said to the police chief, “You may kill us but you cannot kill the Church because you cannot kill God.” The police shot the Sisters and teenagers, who were then buried by the villagers. The words of St Catherine of Siena remind us that, ‘The martyrs wanted to die, not to flee from labour but to attain their purpose.'”

From: Spiritual Thought from Fr Chris

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that we who know how courageously your holy martyrs Philip and Companions confessed the faith, may experience their goodness as they intercede for us with you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

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BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

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