San pedro calungsod biography template
Pedro Calungsod
Second Filipino saint and Martyr
Saint Pedro Calungsod | |
|---|---|
Calungsod on a stained-glass window in Cubao Cathedral | |
| Born | July 21, 1654 Ginatilan, Cebu, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire |
| Died | April 2, 1672(1672-04-02) (aged 17) Tumon, Guam, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | March 5, 2000, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | October 21, 2012, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Benedict XVI |
| Major shrine | Cebu Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Pedro Calungsod, Archbishop's Residence Compound, 234 D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City 6000 PH |
| Feast | October 21 April 2 (before 2025) |
| Attributes | Martyr's palm, Spear, Bolo, Doctrina Christiana book, Rosary, Christogram, Crucifix |
| Patronage | Filipino youth, Catechumens, Altar servers, the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, Cebuanos, Visayans, Archdiocese of Cebu, Pury, San Antonio, Quezon Province |
Pedro Calungsod (Spanish: Pedro Calúñgsod or archaically Pedro Calonsor; July 21, 1654 – April 2, 1672), also known as Peter Calungsod and Pedro Calonsor, was a CatholicFilipino-Visayan migrant, sacristan and missionarycatechist who, along with the Spanish Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores, suffered religious persecution and martyrdom in Guam for their missionary work in 1672.
While in Guam, Calungsod preached Christianity to the Chamorros through catechesis, while baptizing infants, children, and adults at the risk and expense of being persecuted and eventually murdered. Through Calungsod and San Vitores's missionary efforts, many native Chamorros converted to Catholicism.
Calungsod was beatified on March 5, 2000, by Pope John Paul II, and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on October 21, 2012.[7] Feastday: April 2 Although born in the Philippines, St. Pedro Calungsod is loosely considered an American saint because he was martyred in the United States territory of Guam. Unfortunately, there is not much known about him, especially his early life. History tells us he 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. 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. Early years and missionary work. Disputed origin Few details of the early life of Calungsod (spelled Calonsor in Spanish records) are known. Historical records do not mention his exact birthplace or birth date and merely identified him as "Pedro Calonsor, el Visayo". Historical research identifies Ginatilan in Cebu, Hinunangan and Hinundayan in Southern Leyte, and the Molo district of Iloilo City as possible places of origin; Loboc, Bohol also makes a claim. Of these claims, the ones from Molo, Iloilo and Ginatilan, Cebu are considered the strongest. The Cebu camp reasoned that Ginatilan contains the highest concentrations of people surnamed Calungsod and that during the beatification process, they were the original claimants to having been Calungsod's birthplace. Proponents of an Ilonggo origin argue that in the early Spanish period, the term "Visayan" exclusively referred to people from the islands of Negros or Panay, whereas people from Cebu, Bohol and Leyte were called "Pintados". Thus, had he been born in Cebu he w Pedro Calungsod was a young man from the Visayas region in the Philippines: born in 1654 in the territory of Cebu, he attended the Jesuit missions as a boy until he became a catechist. Young, local natives like Pedro who were trained from a cultural and spiritual point of view could be a valuable help to preach and be an instrument of conversion. Therefore, at the end of a two-year journey Pedro became one of the catechists who, together with the Spanish Jesuit missionaries, went as far as the Mariana Islands to evangelize the Chamorros, obtaining many conversions. However, a Chinese healer, called Choco, who was envious of missionaries, began to spread the rumor that baptismal water was poisonous. Since some children had died after being baptized when they were already sick, many believed in the slanderer. Choco's evil campaign was also quickly supported by some superstitious indigenous people and immoral customs who began to persecute the missionaries. On April 2, 1672, Pedro - who must have been about seventeen at the time - and the superior of the mission, Father Diego Luis de San Vitores, arrived in the village of Tomhom on the island of Guam to baptize a child. But the child's father, called Matapang, angrily refused baptism for his daughter. Determined to kill the missionaries, Matapang tried to win over another villager, named Hirao, and together they began to throw spears at Pedro who dodged the darts with remarkable dexterity. The boy would have had every chance to escape given his agility, but he did not want to leave Father Diego alone. Because he was a very brave boy, Pedro would have gotten the better of his proud attackers, if only he had some weapon to defend himself with. But Father Diego never allowed his companions to carry weapons with them. Pedro was thus reached by a dart to his chest and Hirao ended it with a half scimitar shot to the head. The killers finally killed Father Diego and threw both bodies into the depths of the ocean. The mort Feast Day: April 2 The story of Pedro Calungsod shows us that young people can do great things. Born in the Philippines, Pedro was only 13 when he joined a group of Spanish missionaries who were going to travel to the Marianas Islands to teach the native people about God. Pedro loved the Church, and he received the Sacraments whenever he could. He was eager to share what he knew about Jesus with others. He did well, and many people were baptized into the faith because of his efforts. But some people did not trust the missionary priests. Often the medicine men in the village viewed the missionaries as a threat to their power. One night, when Pedro and a priest arrived in a village to baptize the chief’s daughter—at the request of the chief’s wife—they were killed by assassins led by the chief. Pedro died for his faith in 1672, when he was only 17. In 2000, Pope John Paul II beatified Pedro, telling the crowds that gathered for the ceremony, “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.” Pedro Calungsod was canonized on October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI. Connecting to Be My DisciplesSaint Pedro Calungsod
Filipino Saint - July 21, 1654 - April 2, 1672
Venerated: January 27, 2000
Beatified: March 5, 2000
Canonized: October 21, 2012
Grade 2, chapter 18