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On February 6, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- "saints" and "blesseds" whose souls are now in heaven:

Holy Martyrs of Nagasaki of 1597 [also called "St. Paul Miki and companions" and "First Martyrs of the Far East"] (mostly European and Asian, 26 missionaries and converts, martyred side by side [mostly crucified and stabbed by spears] in 1597 [beatified 1627, canonized 1862])
----- St. Paul Miki of Tsunokuni (Japanese [J], Jesuit priest [died at about age 33])
----- St. Anthony Deynan of Nagasaki (J, altar boy, Franciscan tertiary [F3], died at about age 13)
----- St. Cosmas Takeya of Owari (J, F3, interpreter)
----- St. Diego Kisai of Osaka (J, layman [age 64], Jesuit temporal coadjutor, catechist [died at about age 64])
----- St. Francis Blanco of Monterey [Francisco] (Spanish, Franciscan missionary brother, formerly in Mexico and Philippines)
----- St. Francis of Miyako (J, F3, physician, catechist [died at about age 49])
----- St. Francis of Saint Michael of La Parilla (Spanish, Franciscan missionary brother, formerly in Philippines [died at about age 53])
----- St. Gabriel of Duisco (J, F3, [died at about age 20])
----- St. Gaius Francis Danto (J, F3, soldier)
----- St. Gonzalo Garcia of Bassein [Gonçalo] (Portuguese from India, catechist, interpreter, Franciscan brother, formerly in Philippines [died at about age 41])
----- St. Joachim Sakakibara of Osaka (J, F3, cook, catechist [died at about age 41])
----- St. John Soan of Goto (J, adolescent, Jesuit temporal coadjutor, catechist [died at about age 19])
----- St. John Kisaka of Miyako (J, F3, silk weaver [died at about age 29])
----- St. Leo Karasumaru of Owari (Korean [K], pagan priest converted by Jesuits, F3, chief catechist)
----- St. Louis Ibaraki of Owari (J/K?, altar server, nephew of Paul Ibaraki and Leo Karasumaru [died at about age 12])
----- St. Martin of the Ascension Loynaz de Aguirre of Vergara (S, Franciscan missionary brother, formerly in Mexico and Philippines [died at about age 30])
----- St. Matthias of Miyako (J, F3)
----- St. Michael Kozaki of Ise (J, hospital nurse [died at about age 46])
----- St. Paul Ibaraki of Owari (K, F3, interpreter, catechist, brother of Leo Karasumaru)
----- St. Paul Suzuki of Owari (J, F3, catechist [died at about age 50])
----- St. Peter Baptist Blásquez of Avila [Pedro Bautista] (Spanish, Franciscan missionary priest, formerly in Mexico and Philippines, miracle worker [died at about age 52])
----- St. Peter Sukejiro of Kyoto (J, F3, catechist, servant, sacristan)
----- St. Philip of Jesus de las Casas of Mexico City [Felipe de Jesus] (Mexican, Franciscan friar, first to die [accidentally strangled on the cross] [died at about age 26])
----- St. Thomas Kozaki of Ise (J, altar server, son of Michael Kozaki [died at about age 15]
----- St. Thomas Shiko (J, F3, catechist, interpreter)
----- St. Ventura of Miyako (J, layman, revert from Buddhist priesthood)

Bl. Alphonse Mary Fusco of Angri [Alfonso Maria] (Italian, priest, founded Congregation of the Baptistine Sisters of the Nazarene, died at age 70 in 1910 [beatified 2001])
St. Amand of Maastricht (French, hermit, Benedictine abbot, evangelized northern Europe, missionary bishop, died in Belgium at about age 95 c. 679)
St. Andrew of Elnon (Belgian, Benedictine abbot, c. 690)
Bl. Angel of Furci [Angelo] (Italian, Augustinian provincial, teacher of theology, died at about age 81 in 1372 [beatified 1888])
St. Antholian of Auvergne (French, martyred c. 265)
St. Dorothy of Caesarea (Cappadocian [from what is now part of Armenia], virgin, tortured and martyred by beheading in 311)
Bl. Frances of Gubbio [Francesca] (Italian, Franciscan tertiary, d. 1360)
Bl. Francis Spinelli of Milan [Francesco] (Italian, diocesan priest, founded Institute of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, died at age 59 in 1913 [beatified 1992])
St. Gerald of Ostia [Geraldo] (French or Italian, Benedictine prior, bishop, papal legate, d. 1077)
St. Guarinus of Bologna [Guarino] (Italian, Augustinian canon, bishop of Pavia, cardinal bishop of Palestrina, d. 1159)
St. Hildegund of Meer (German, countess, mother of three, widow, Norbertine prioress, d. 1183)
Sts. Jacut and Guethenoc (British, brothers [sons of two saints], 5th century)
Bl. James de Azevedo of Osma [Diego] (Spanish, Cistercian priest, bishop, d. 1207)
Sts. Mel and Melchu (British, nephews of St. Patrick, bishops, martyred c. 490)
St. Mun of Lough Ree (British, nephew of St. Patrick, bishop of Longford, hermit, 5th century)
St. Relindis of Eyck (French, Benedictine abbess in Belgium, c. 750)
Sts. Saturninus, Theophilus, and Revocata (early martyrs)
Sts. Silvanus, Luke, and Mucius, of Emesa (Phoenician [Lebanese] ... bishop, deacon, and lector ... martyred in 312)
St. Theophilus of Caesarea (Cappadocian, lawyer, martyred by beheading c. 300)
St. Vedast of Arras (French, missionary, bishop of Arras-Cambrai, died at about age 86 c. 539)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints or blesseds and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Additional information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 07, 2005

Answers

[Here is an excerpt from a moving contemporary account of the martyrdom of St. Paul Miki and his crucified companions -- as found in the Church's "Office of Readings" in the Liturgy of Hours for today:]

"The crosses were set in place. Father Pasio and Father Rodriguez took turns encouraging the victims, whose steadfast behaviour was wonderful to see. ... Brother Martin gave thanks to God's goodness by singing psalms. Again and again he repeated: 'Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my life.' Brother Francis Blanco also thanked God in a loud voice. Brother Gonsalvo in a very loud voice kept saying the Our Father and Hail Mary.

"Our brother, Paul Miki, saw himself standing now in the noblest pulpit he had ever filled. To his 'congregation' he began by proclaiming himself a Japanese and a Jesuit. He was dying for the Gospel he preached. He gave thanks to God for this wonderful blessing and he ended his 'sermon' with these words: 'As I come to this supreme moment of my life, I am sure none of you would suppose I want to deceive you. And so I tell you plainly: there is no way to be saved except the Christian way. My religion teaches me to pardon my enemies and all who have offended me. I do gladly pardon the Emperor and all who have sought my death. I beg them to seek baptism and be Christians themselves.'

"Then he looked at his comrades and began to encourage them in their final struggle. Joy glowed in all their faces, and in Louis' most of all. When a Christian in the crowd cried out to him that he [a 12-year-old boy] would soon be in heaven, his hands, his whole body strained upward with such joy that every eye was fixed on him. Anthony [an altar boy], hanging at Louis' side, looked toward heaven and called upon the holy names - 'Jesus, Mary!' He began to sing a psalm: 'Praise the Lord, you children!' (He learned it in catechism class in Nagasaki. They take care there to teach the children some psalms to help them learn their catechism.)

"Others kept repeating 'Jesus, Mary!' Their faces were serene. Some of them even took to urging the people standing by to live worthy Christian lives. In these and other ways they showed their readiness to die. Then, according to Japanese custom, the four executioners began to unsheathe their spears. At this dreadful sight, all the Christians cried out, 'Jesus, Mary!' And the storm of anguished weeping then rose to batter the very skies. The executioners killed them one by one. One thrust of the spear, then a second blow. It was over in a very short time."

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 07, 2005.

[Note: I am copying the following indented message from the old, obsolete "saints" thread for this day of the year, so that the old thread can later be deleted. JFG]

... SAN FELIPE DE JESUS ... fue a la vez el primer MARTIR y el primer SANTO MEXICANO:

SAN FELIPE DE JESÚS, MÁRTIR (1572 – 1597)
Felipe nació en la ciudad de México el año 1572, hijo de honrados inmigrantes españoles. En su niñez se caracterizó por su índole inquieta y traviesa. Se cuenta que su aya, una buena negra cristiana, al comprobar las diarias travesuras de Felipillo, solía exclamar, con la mirada fija en una higuera seca que, en el fondo del jardín, levantaba a las nubes sus áridas ramas: "Antes la higuera seca reverdecerá, que Felipe llegue a ser santo" El chico no tenía madera de santo.

Pero un buen día entró en el noviciado de los franciscanos dieguinos; más no pudiendo resistir la austeridad, otro buen día se escapó del convento. Regresó a la casa paterna y ejerció durante algunos años el oficio de platero, si bien con escasas ganancias; por lo que su padre, Alonso de las Casas, lo envió a las islas Filipinas a probar fortuna. Felipe contaba ya para entonces 18 años. Se estableció en el emporio de artes, riquezas y placeres que era en esos tiempos la ciudad de Manila.

Nuestro joven gozó por un tiempo de los deslumbrantes atractivos de aquella ciudad, pero pronto se sintió angustiado: el vacío de Dios se dejó sentir muy hondo, hasta las últimas fibras de su ser; en medio de aquel doloroso vacío, volvió a oír la tenue llamada de Cristo: "Si quieres venir en pos de Mí, renuncia a ti mismo, toma tu cruz y sígueme" (Mt. 16, 24).

Y Felipe volvió a tomar la cruz: entró con los franciscanos de Manila y ahora sí tomó muy en serio su conversión... oró mucho, estudió, cuidó amorosamente a los enfermos y necesitados, y un buen día le anunciaron que ya podía ordenarse sacerdote, y que, por gracia especial, esa ordenación tendría lugar precisamente en su ciudad natal, en México.

Se embarcó juntamente con Fray Juan Pobre y otros franciscanos rumbo a la Nueva España; pero una gran tempestad arrojó el navío a las costas de Japón, entonces evangelizado, entre otros, por Fray Pedro Bautista y algunos Hermanos de la provincia franciscana de Filipinas. Felipe se sintió dichoso: ahora podría ahondar más en su conversión esforzándose por convertir a muchos japoneses. Las conversiones en Japón aumentaban día a día; pero entonces estalló la persecución de Taicosama contra los franciscanos y sus catequistas.

Nuestro Felipe, por su calidad de náufrago hubiera podido evitar honrosamente la prisión y los tormentos, como habían hecho Fray Juan Pobre y otros compañeros de naufragio. Pero Felipe rechazó esa manera fácil de rehuir su actividad. Quería convertirse siempre más a fondo, hasta abrazarse del todo con la cruz de Cristo. Siguió, pues, hasta el último suplicio a San Pedro Bautista y demás misioneros franciscanos que desde hacía años evangelizaban el Japón. Felipe, juntamente con ellos, fue llevado en procesión por algunas de las principales ciudades para que se burlaran de él. Sufrió pacientemente que le cortaran, como a todos los demás, una oreja, y, finalmente en Nagasaki, en compañía de otros 21 franciscanos, cinco de la Primera Orden y quince de la Tercera Orden, además de tres jóvenes jesuitas, se abrazó a la cruz de la cual fue colgado, suspendido mediante una argolla y atravesado por dos lanzas.

Felipe fue el primero en morir en medio de todos aquellos gloriosos mártires. Sus últimas palabras fueron: "Jesús, Jesús, Jesús". Felipe se había convertido plena y totalmente a Cristo. Era el 5 de febrero de 1597. Cuenta la leyenda que ese mismo día la higuera seca de la casa paterna reverdeció de pronto y dio fruto. Felipe fue beatificado, juntamente con sus compañeros de cruento martirio, el 14 de septiembre de 1627, y canonizado el 8 de junio de 1862. Felipe, el joven que supo convertirse hasta dar la vida por Cristo, ha sido declarado patrono de la Ciudad de México y de su arzobispado.

-- Enrique Ortiz -- February 06, 2004.

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 07, 2005.