Blessed Pedro Calungsod

YOUNG MISSIONARIES OF GOD

      

St. Therese who is the Patroness of the Missions
desired to be a missionary and martyr.

‘In spite of my littleness, I would like to enlighten souls as did the Prophets and the Doctors.

I have the vocation of the Apostles.I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach your Name and to plant you glorious cross on infidel soil. But…one mission alone would not be sufficient for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all the five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years only, but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages.

~(The Story of a Soul : the Autobiography of St. St Thérèse of Lisieux) 

“O Jesus, I ask but Peace. . . . Peace, and above a

ll, Love. . . .Love—without limit. Jesus, I ask that for Thy sake I may die aMartyr; give me martyrdom of soul or body. Or rather give me both the one and the other.~Story of a Soul Chap 8

Here is a young missionary,
 a martyr...
a "SOLDIER OF CHRIST"


Blessed Pedro Calungsod

"Blessed Pedro Calungsod Song"

There was once a lad from the Visayas

Left his land in search for graceless souls

He Spread God's words with lips untiring

He is the servant of the Lord

Chorus:

O Blessed Pedro Calungsod

Faithful Child of God

Be to us a guide

Lead us to the light of Jesus Christ

O Blessed Pedro Calungsod

Our young inspire in the darkest hour

Look down on us from where you are

Steadfastly you walk where Jesus trod

Never mindful of what's left behind

We entrust the young to your watchful care

Walk with them and never leave their side

You chose to die with Padre Diego

But your faith in God remains undying

Be to us a true companion

When at the end death closes in

(repeat chorus)

http://www.coycebu.org/

Prayer to Blessed Pedro Calungsod

Blessed Pedro Calungsod,

student, catechist, young migrant,

missionary, faithful friend, martyr,

you inspire us

by your fidelity in times of adversity;

by your courage in teaching the faith

in the midst of hostility;

and by your love in shedding your blood

for the sake of the Gospel.

Make our troubles your own

(here mention your request)

and intercede for us

before the throne of Mercy and Grace

so that,

as we experience the help of heaven,

we may be encouraged to live

and proclaim the Gospel here on earth.

Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE CANONIZATION OF BLESSED PEDRO CALUNGSOD

O God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, graciously grant the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, if it be for the greater glory of your Name and for the good our souls. AMEN.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be.

Gozos ni Beato Pedro Calungsod

(Visayan)

Who is Blessed Pedro?

Blessed Pedro Calungsod (c. 1654[1] – April 2, 1672) is a Filipino Roman Catholic martyr who was killed while doing missionary work in Guam in 1672. He was beatified on March 5, 2000, by Pope John Paul II. As a skilled sacristan, he was a companion of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores to the Marianas Islands. Through their efforts, many receive the sacraments especially that of baptism. A plot to kill Pedro and San Vitores started when a certain Choco, a Chinesewho gained influence over the Macanas of Marianas Island, circulated false accusations that the missionaries were spreading poison through the ritual of the pouring of water (i.e. baptism), and through the ritual of Catholic Masses. 

BEATIFICATION

Pope John Paul II beatified both Father Diego Luis de San Vitores (October 6, 1985) and Pedro Calungsod (March 5, 2000) at Saint Peter's Square in Rome.

Pedro was beatified along with other 43 servants of God.[2] About Pedro, the Pope said:

(...) 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. Leaving family and friends behind, Pedro willingly accepted the challenge put to him by Fr Diego de San Vitores to join him on the Mission to the Chamorros. In a spirit of faith, marked by strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion, Pedro undertook the demanding work asked of him and bravely faced the many obstacles and difficulties he met. In the face of imminent danger, Pedro would not forsake Fr Diego, but as a "good soldier of Christ" preferred to die at the missionary's side (...)

~Wikipedia

THE LIFE OF BLESSED PEDRO

The Philippine Islands were discovered by Spain by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. But it was in 1570 that Miguel de Legazpi that a Spanish settlement was built and the capital became Manila.

Through the influences of the Spanish Religious, many of the Filipino people were baptised into the Catholic Faith. The Philippines remained under Spanish control until the year 1815.

It was in 1655 that a young man was born, Pedro Calungsod, he lived for a time in the Visayas region, and it was here that the Jesuits touched this young man's heart.

And it was with the Jesuit Priests that the young Pedro learnt the Faith that he embraced with all his soul. He grew to love the Jesuit teachers and also reached out to his community as the more he learnt the more he wished to share with others.

Where Pedro lived could also prove to be very inhospitable, to those who wished to evangelise the region. They had to go through jungles and traverse huge cliffs as well as rivers and always with the threat of typhoons.

The Missions were doing well in teaching the Catholic Faith and baptising whole families into the Catholic Church, but wherever God's work is being done, there would be those who would try and disrupt this Mission and to try and destroy the Catholic Missionaries. One was a Chinese trouble maker, who planted stories among the villagers that the water used for Baptism was poisonous. This brought great fear to the village people as infant mortality was high due to unsanitary living conditions.

This lie would herald in a period of persecution to the Missions and those who supported the Catholic missionaries, such as the young Pedro, who truly loved and lived his Faith with great devotion towards our Blessed Mother.

But the persecutions were still thriving in the hearts of those who embraced the idea that the Catholics were to blame for anything that went wrong in their villagers and also if any sickness befell families. These erroneous ideas were able to gain a foothold due to the remaining superstitions that remained within many Filipino villagers.

Into this hotbed, the young Pedro who was about 17 years old and a Priest Diego De San Vitores travelled to the village of Tomhom on the island of Guam. And it was here upon hearing that a young baby was near death, both Pedro and Fr. Vitores requested that the baby be baptized this unfortunately began a sequence of events that would lead to a tragedy.

For the baby's father, Matapang had become an apostate and now denied the religion he had once embraced. And while Matapang tried to enlist other villagers to kill the Priest and his helper the young Pedro, it was during this absence that Fr. Vitores decided to baptize the young baby without the permission of Matapang.

Upon his return, Matapang was enraged that his wife had permitted the Baptism of his child, and took out his rage on Fr. Vitores and the young Pedro by hurling spears at them both. Pedro being so young was able to avoid getting hit by the spears but he refused to run and leave Fr Vitores behind. It was then that one of spears struck Pedro and he fell to the ground, where upon Pedro was hacked to death. Father Vitores as one of his last acts gave Pedro Absolution before he too was murdered.

Upon the death of these two holy men, both their bodies were mutilated and the Cross they wore was also desecrated by the enraged Matapang!


~source

http://faithofthefatherssaints.blogspot.com/2005/11/blessed-pedro-calungsod.html