spirituality 16/02/06 6 February: The Twenty Six Martyrs of Japan (St Paul Miki and Companions)

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6 February: The Twenty Six Martyrs of Japan (St Paul Miki and Companions)

Japan

The Twenty Six Martyrs of Japan were arrested by government officials for preaching the Catholic faith during the persecution of Christians under the Taiko, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, ruler of Japan in the name of the emperor. They were taken to a hill called Nishizaka near Nagasaki on 5 February 1597, bound to crosses and pierced with lances. The martyrs are:

• St Antonio Dainan, born in Nagasaki of a Chinese father and Japanese mother
• St Bonaventura of Miyako, baptized as an infant, raised in a Buddhist monastery
• St Cosme Takeya, a sword maker from Owari and later a catechist
• St Francisco Branco, born in Spain, he came to Japan via Mexico and the Philippines
• St Francisco, born in Kyoto, 48 years old, a physician and a zealous preacher
• St Francisco, a carpenter from Kyoto
• St Gabriel de Duisco, a native of Ise, 19 years old, a catechist
• St Gaius Francis, a baptized Japanese militaryman and a Franciscan tertiary
• St Gundisalvus (Gonsalvo) Garcia, 40 years, a catechist born in India of a Portuguese father and an Indian mother
• St James Kisai, a Jesuit brother from Okayama, in charge of the guests at the Jesuit residence, 64 years of age
• St Joaquim Saccachibara, 40 years, a native of Osaka, a cook
• St Juan Kisaka, 28 years old, from Kyoto, a silk weaver and trader, he had recently been baptized
• St Juan Soan de Goto, 19 years, born in the Goto islands from Christian parents, he studied with the Jesuits in Nagasaki
• St Leo Karasumaru, a bonze in his youth, he became a catechist and a man of prayer
• St Luis Ibaraki, only 12 years old, born in Owari, the nephew of Paul Ibaraki and Leo Karasumaru
• St Martin of the Ascension, a Franciscan missionary born Spain, 30 years old
• St Mathias of Miyako, of whom is little known, except that he offered himself when the soldiers were looking for another Matthias
• St Miguel Kozaki, a native of Ise, 46 years old and a bow maker
• St Paulo Ibaraki, born in Owari, of a samurai family, he was drawn to the Franciscan community
• St Paul Miki, born in Tsunokuni district of Japan in 1562, he joined the Society of Jesus in 1580 and was the first Japanese member of any Catholic religious order
• St Pablo Suzuki, 49 years old, from Owari, a catechist and healer
• St Pedro Bautista or St Peter Baptist, a Spanish Franciscan who had worked in the Philippines before coming to Japan
• St Pedro Sukejiroo, sent by a Jesuit to help the prisoners, and then arrested
• St Philip of Jesus, born in Mexico in 1572, he became the first Mexican Saint
• St Thomas Kozaki, 14 years old, from Ise, drawn to the Franciscans
• St Thomas Xico, pharmacist and catechist.