Japanese Martyr

Today's saint along with his companions gave the ultimate price for the spreading of the Christian faith in Japan.

St. Paul Miki and companions

Feast day:  February 6
Born: 1562
Died: 1597
Japan

Paul was the son of a Japanese military leader.  He was educated by the Jesuits and in 1850 joined the order himself. He became a well known and successful preacher - gaining numerous converts to Catholicism.

Paul and the others were arrested and forced to march 600 miles from Kyoto to Nagasaki; all the while singing the Te Deum.  He preached his last sermon from the cross, and it is maintained that he forgave his executioners, stating that he himself was Japanese.

He was crucified with twenty-five other Catholics during the persecution of Christians in the name of the emperor.

Among the Japanese laymen who suffered the same fate were:

• Francis, a carpenter who was arrested while watching the executions and then crucified; 
• Gabriel, the 19 year old son of the Franciscan's porter; 
• Leo Kinuya, a 28 year old carpenter from Miyako; 
• Diego Kisai (or Kizayemon), temporal coadjutor of the Jesuits; 
• Joachim Sakakibara, cook for the Franciscans at Osaka; 
• Peter Sukejiro, sent by a Jesuit priest to help the prisoners, who was then arrested; 
• Cosmas Takeya from Owari, who had preached in Osaka; 
• Ventura from Miyako, who had been baptized by the Jesuits, gave up his Catholicism on the death of his father, became a bonze, and was brought back to the Church by the Franciscans
• Joan Soan (de Gotó), Jesuit 
• and Santiago Kisai, Jesuit