Pedro calungsod feast day
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Saint Pedro Calungsod
Filipino Saint - July 21, 1654 - April 2, 1672
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 kn
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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 d
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1654-1672
Feast Day 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.
Not long into their missionary experience, a Chinese immigrant named Choco decided to make life difficult for Pedro and his companions. He was envious of their prestige among the natives and began spreading
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