ST PEDRO CALUNGSOD, CATECHIST AND MARTYR - 2 APRIL

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN APRIL

Saints celebrated on the 2nd of April

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST PEDRO CALUNGSOD, CATECHIST AND MARTYR 

Born in the Philippines, Saint Pedro Calungsod [1654 - April 2, 1672] was one of the young volunteers who joined the Spanish Jesuit missionaries who left the Philippines for the Ladrones Islands in the western Pacific in 1668. Pedro served there, alongside his peers, as a catechist and teacher of the Faith.

ROUGH TERRITORY

As is the case in most mission lands, life was difficult. Delivery of supplies was irregular. The natural terrain and weather made the situation harsher. One can imagine life among their dense jungles, steep cliffs and storms. Faithful to the Lord’s command to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, however, these brave missionaries persevered. 

POISONED BY ENVY

Not long into their missionary experience, a Chinese immigrant named Choco decided to make life difficult for Pedro and his companions. He was envious of their prestige among the natives and spread lies about them.

DEATH THREATS

The worst of it occurred on April 2, 1672, when Pedro and a priest companion arrived at Guam that morning. Once there, they heard of a baby girl recently born. They offered baptism for her, but Matapang, the girl’s father, who had left the Faith due to the false accusations, refused. He even uttered death threats against Pedro and the priest.

HYMNS AND DIVINE TRUTHS

Meanwhile, Pedro and the priest - Father Diego Luis de San Vitores - gathered some of the remaining Christians in the local village and led them in songs and recitation of divine truths. 

AN ATTACK ON UNARMED MEN

As Matapang went to enlist another man, who was not Christian, to be the murderer, Pedro and Padre Diego went into his hut and baptised his newborn daughter with the consent of his Christian wife. Learning of this, his fury increased, and he reacted by casting spears at Pedro. With the agility of his youth, Pedro dodged them, but didn’t want to leave Padre Diego behind. Many believed if Pedro only had weapons, he could have defeated Matapang, but Padre Diego never allowed the missionaries to carry them.

THEY WERE MARTYRED

Eventually, a spear pierced Pedro’s chest, and he collapsed to the ground. Before his own death, Padre Diego provided him with absolution. The naked bodies of the martyrs were dragged to the sea and, after stones were tied to their feet, were disposed of in the water. 

"HE HAS BECOME THE PRECURSOR OF OUR SUPERIOR!"

Once the news got back to Pedro’s companion missionaries, they said, “Fortunate youth! How well-rewarded his four years of persevering service to God in the difficult mission are: He has become the precursor of our superior, Padre Diego, in Heaven!” They recalled Pedro as being kind, a devout catechist and someone who was unafraid to share his faith, even if it meant death.

HE DECLARED HIMSELF UNWAVERINGLY FOR CHRIST AND RESPONDED GENEROUSLY TO HIS CALL

At his beatification, Pope St John Paul II told the crowds gathered for the celebration, “From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to his call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the Faith as a lay catechist.” 

(Information from: OSV, Michael R. Heinlein https://www.osv.com/)