-- 2nd Filipino Saint--,his Life and Martyrdom..

Early Years

Calungsod was born ca. 1655.

Historical records never mentioned his

exact place of origin and merely

identified him as “Bisaya.”

Historical

research, however, identifies Cebu as his

birthplace

Missionary Works

It is probable that he received basic education at a Jesuit boarding school, mastering the Catechism and learning to communicate in Spanish.

He likely honed his skills in drawing, painting, singing, acting, and carpentry as these were necessary in missionary work.

Calungsod would have been expected to have some aptitude in serving in the Tridentine Mass (now known as theExtraordinary form of the Roman Rite).

Missionary Works

Around 14 years old, he was among the exemplary young catechists chosen to accompany the Jesuits in their mission to the Ladrones Islands (Islas de los Ladrones or “Isles of Thieves”).

In 1668, Calungsod travelled with Spanish Jesuit missionaries to these islands, renamed the Marianas Islands (Las Islas de Mariana) the year before in honor of both the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Queen Regent of Spain, María Ana of Austria, who funded their voyage

Missionary Works

Calungsod and San Vitores went

to Guam to catechise the

native Chamorros.

Missionary life was difficult as provisions did

not arrive regularly, the jungles and terrain

was difficult to traverse, and the islands

were frequently devastated by typhoons.

Despite all these, the mission

persevered, and was able to convert a

significant number of locals.

Betrayal and Martyrdom

A Chinese merchant named Choco began

spreading rumors that the baptismal water

used by missionaries was poisonous.

As some sickly Chamorro infants who were

baptized eventually died, many believed the

story and held the missionaries responsible.

Choco was readily supported by

the macanjas (medicine men) and

the urritaos (young males) who despised

the missionaries.

Betrayal and Martyrdom In their search for a runaway companion

named Esteban, Calungsod and San

Vitores came to

the village of Tumon, Guam on 2 April 1672.

There they learnt that the wife of the village

chief Mata’pang gave birth to a

daughter, and they immediately went to

baptize the child.

Influenced by the calumnies of Choco, the

chief strongly opposed; to give Mata’pang

some time to calm down, the missionaries

gathered the children and some adults of

the village at the nearby shore and started

Betrayal and Martyrdom

They invited Mata’pang to join them, but

he shouted back that he was angry with

God and was fed up with Christian

teachings.

Determined to kill the

missionaries, Mata’pang went away and

tried to enlist another villager, named

Hirao, who was not a Christian.

Hirao initially refused, mindful of the

missionaries’ kindness towards the

natives, but when Mata’pang branded

him a coward, he became piqued and

Martyrdom and Death

Meanwhile, during that brief absence of

Mata’pang from his hut, San Vitores and

Calungsod baptized the baby girl, with

the consent of her Christian mother.

When Mata’pang learnt of his daughter’s

baptism, he became even more furious.

He violently hurled spears first at

Pedro, who was able to dodge the

spears.

Martyrdom and Death

Witnesses claim that Calungsod could

have escaped the attack, but did not

want to leave San Vitores alone.

Those who knew Calungsod personally

meanwhile believed that he could have

defeated the aggressors with weapons;

San Vitores however banned his

companions to carry arms.

Martyrdom and Death

Calungsod was hit in the chest by a

spear and he fell to the ground, then

Hirao immediately charged towards him

and finished him off with machete blow

to the head. San

Vitores absolved Calungsod before he

too was killed..

Mata’pang took San Vitores’ crucifix and

pounded it with a stone

whilst blaspheming God.

Martyrdom and Death

Both assassins then denuded the

corpses of Calungsod and San

Vitroes, tied large stones to their

feet, brought them out to sea on

their proas and threw them into the

water.

In the Roman Catholic

Church, Calungsod’s martyrdom is

called In Odium Fidei or In Hatred of the

Faith, referring to the religious

persecution endured by the person in

evangelization.