St. Pedro Calungsod the Forgotten Saint Cynthia L Reyes Filipinos Call Him – “The Forgotten Saint”
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St. Pedro Calungsod The Forgotten Saint Cynthia L Reyes Filipinos call him – “The Forgotten Saint”. I think it should be more of – “The Accidental Saint”. Pedro Calungsod (1654-1672) was born Persecution against the missionaries Why? You might ask. Because his canonization came about accidentally. in Ginatilan, a poverty strapped town 135 started when a Chinese quack named 1 Corinthians 3:9 kilometers south of Cebu. How he got to Choco got envious of their success. He Manila to join the Jesuit missionaries started spreading rumors that the waters headed by Padre Diego Luis de San used for baptism was poisonous which Vitores is not known. It could be that the was killing the children. There actually Bishop of Cebu sent him to was an epidemic going on at join Padre Diego’s mission that time. And people to the Ladrones, as it is part believed him and started of the Diocese of Cebu. Or persecuting the missionaries. the Jesuits in the Visayas may have sent him and The worst happened on April other young boys to Padre 2, 1672. Padre Diego and Diego. At that time the Pedro were informed of the Jesuit missionaries used to birth of a new baby girl. So train and employ young they went to the village to boys as catechists and baptize the child. The child’s versatile assistants in their father, Matapang was missions. Pedro was just 13 years old Catholic and a friend of the missionaries, when Padre Diego’s group arrived in but he has been influenced by Choco. Guam on June 15, 1668. So he refused to get his daughter baptized. So Padre Diego and Pedro Life in the Ladrones was hard, but the gathered the children with some adults missionaries persevered and the mission by the shore and chanted the truths of was blessed with many conversions. the Catholic faith. They tried to invite The Jesuit trained Pedro taught catechism Matapang to join them but he refused. for four years. The missionaries were Instead he left and looked for someone sustained in their mission by their daily who would help him kill the missionaries. celebration of the Eucharist, frequent So, he went to a non-Christian village confession and great devotion to the Chief Hirao to help him implement his Blessed Virgin Mary. evil motive. 2012 Nov/Dec 4 During this absence, Padre Diego finally beatified on October 6, 1985. baptized Matapang’s daughter with the And this was when Archbishop Vidal permission of the Christian mother. learned about Pedro Calungsod, started When Matapang learned about this, he the investigation and subsequently got more furious and started hurling initiated his beatification process in spears at Pedro. Being young and agile 1996. Pedro was able to skirt the spears hurled by Matapang and Hirao. He could have Having proven that Pedro Calungsod escaped but did not want to leave Padre was martyred for the love of God he was Diego alone. Finally he got hit by a beatified by Pope John Paul II on March spear and fell to the ground. Hirao 5, 2000 in Rome. On Dec 19, 2011 the finished him off with a blow of a cutlass on Vatican verified a miracle attributed to the head. Padre Diego could not do him in 2002, of a woman revived through anything but give Pedro the final his intercession. sacrament. After that Padre Diego was also killed. They dragged their bodies to Pedro Calungsod’s feast day is April 2, the edge of the shore, tied them together the date of his death. He is a saint and threw them into the deep. Their especially for the young people and for bodies were never found again. catechists. Also, he can be looked up to by migrants and evangelists. The surviving Jesuit missionaries managed to start the process for He was canonized a saint by Pope beatification of their superior Padre Diego. Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012 in Documents were gathered from witnesses Rome. Pedro Calungsod will be and from the Jesuit reports that were sent officially called San Pedro de Cebu – St regularly to the Jesuit headquarter. All Peter of Cebu. these reports mentioned Padre Diego’s assistant Pedro Calungsod. But nothing was being done about Pedro who suffered and died along with Padre Diego. Even Padre Diego’s process for canonization was forgotten and lost during the 18th century when the Jesuits were suppressed. Padre Diego’s beatification cause was “May the example and courageous witness only discovered when the Diocese of of Pedro Calungsod inspire the dear people Agana, Guam was preparing for its 20th of the Philippines to announce the kingdom anniversary as a diocese in 1673. bravely and to win souls for God!” (Another accident!) So Padre Diego was by Pope Benedict XVI 2012 Nov/Dec 5 .