Saints Peter Baptist, Paul Miki and companions --the Nagasaki Martyrs

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26 Japanese martyrs.JPG.jpegGod, our Father, source of strength for all Your saints, You led Peter Baptist, Paul Miki, and their companions through the sufferings of the cross to the joy eternal life. May their prayers give us the courage to be loyal until death in professing our faith.

Today the Church commemorates twenty-six martyrs, three  Jesuits and six Franciscans, crucified in Nagasaki, Japan, on February 5, 1597. Most were Japanese and most were laypersons and they were among the first martyrs of a young Church. The names of the martyrs are:

The Franciscans

Fathers Peter Baptist, Martin of the Ascension, Francis Blanco; Seminarian Philip of Jesus; Brothers Gonsalvo Garzia, Francis of St Michael with seventeen native Franciscan Tertiaries

The Jesuits

Seminarians Paul Miki, John Goto, and Brother James Kisai

They were beatified by Pope Urban VIII on September 14, 1627 and canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 8, 1862.

One historical note, to date the Catholic Church in Japan has 410 beatified and/or canonized martyrs.

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About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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This page contains a single entry by Paul Zalonski published on February 6, 2010 6:34 AM.

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