28th Local World Youth Day
March 21-24, 2013
San Fernando Rey Parish, Liloan
Pastoral Center (Patria de Cebu),
P. Burgos St., Cebu City 6000
The Biography
of
Beato Pedro Calungsod
Pedro Calungsod was a teenage lay Catholic Christian from the Visayas in the Philippines who served the Jesuit Mission in the Marianas, as a catechist and helper from 16 June 1668 until his death on 2 April 1672. Like many catechists and helpers of the missionaries, he was the silent and humble minister who did his duty faithfully and had no historians to tell his deeds to future generatrions. His family is unknown. His background is unrecorded. His family name appears only in the documents in the martyrdom of Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ., the Spanish superior of the said Mariana Mission with whom he was killed.
Pedro was the lone companion of Fr. Diego in the early morning of Saturday, 2 April 1672, at the village of Tomhon, on the island of Guam in the Marianas, when two natives killed them one after the other - first, Pedro, then Fr. Diego - with spears and blow of cutlass, and threw their bodies into the deep ocean for being Christians, for catechizing the Mariana natives, and for administering the Sacrament of Baptism. Their bodies were never to be found again.
The documents state that Pedro could have defended both himself and Fr. Diego if only he were armed, but he did not carry any weapon out of obedience to Fr. Diego who prohibited it among his companions. The documents also point out that Pedro could have run for his life if he wanted to, but he preferred to stay and die with Fr. Diego.
Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores was beatified on 6 October 1985, while Pedro Calungsod was beatified on 5 March 2000.
Prayer
to
Beato Pedro Calungsod
CEBUANO VERSION:
Beato Pedro Calungsod,
estudyante, katekista, batan-ong migrante,
misyonero, maunungong higala, martir,
imo kaming gidasig
pinaagi sa imong kamaunungon
sa panahon sa pagsulay;
sa imong kaisog sa pagtudlo sa Tinuohan
bisan sa taliwala sa mga pagsupak;
ug pinaagi sa imong gugma
diha sa imong pag-ula sa imong dugo
tungod sa Ebanghelyo.
Angkona ang among mga kabalaka
(ibungat ang imong tuyo)
ug pangaliyupo alang kanamo
atubangan sa trono sa Kaluoy ug Grasya
aron sa among pagsinati
sa hinabang sa langit
madasig kamisa pagpuyo
ug pagsangyaw sa Ebanghelyo dinhi sa yuta.
AMEN.
ENGLISH VERSION:
Blessed Pedro Calungsod
student, cathechist, 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 your troubles your own
(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 experience the help of heaven,
we may be encouraged to live
and proclaim the Gospel here on earth.
AMEN.