Ad Maoirem De Gloriam

    "Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he/she is united by charity. He/she bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He/she endures death through an act of fortitude." - CCC n. 2473 Martyrs do not just die for the Catholic faith.  They live the faith before they become martyrs. Blessed Pedro Calungsod was endowed with the Christian virtues needed by saints and martyrs to live and to die for Catholic faith:   Faith by making God the center of his life and his constant reference point. Not only did Pedro firmly believe the truths of the faith taught by the Church, but he also studied them thoroughly.  His knowledge so affected his life that he volunteered to go to the missions with Fr, Diego. Hope  that was rooted in his strong faith in God and fully alive with the enthusiasm of ...

Pedro Calungsod was a 17th century teenage catechist of the Jesuit mission in the Marianas.  On April 2, 1672 he was killed for his faith together with Bl. Diego San Luis Vitoris, SJ in Guam. The canonization process for Pedro Calungsod started on June 25, 1998.  On March 5, 2000 he was declared a "beatus".  On December 19, 2011 a miracle through his intercession was approved.  The Holy Father has decreed that the canonization will be held in Rome on October 21, 2012.** The Life of A Martyr A Very Common Name         "Calungsod" is a very native and descriptive Visayan family name. His family name is variously spelled in the different documents as "Calonsor,"  "Calongsor,"  "Calangsor,"  or "Calansor".  His real family name must have been Calungsod . The variations of the spelling of Pedro's family name in the documents may have been due to the Spanish authors' inability to accurately hear a Filipino n...

MANILA, July 17, 2012—One week after the launch of the ‘I like Pedro week’ campaign spearheaded by the National Commission for Pedro Calungsod’s canonization last July 8, the social networks of the soon to be 2nd Filipino saint has gained almost 1.7 million fans, organizers announced. “Yesterday in our 98th day before the canonization, social networks of Pedro reached a total fan base of 1,629,519 million in the cyber world and about 100,000 simultaneously talking and promoting Saint Pedro Calungsod online. All our media partners from television networks, radio and print has picked up all of our stories and continuous to do so until now,” they said. They also said that more than the number, they have been receiving stories of healing and interventions due to the intercession of Pedro Calungsod. “The graces are still coming and the excitement is building up. As we continue to move, we now prepare ourselves to Blessed Pedro Calungsod’s upcoming events in August until his canoni...

Logo for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod designed by the Archdiocese of Cebu Theme: Kinabuhing Gi-ula, Pagtuong Gimantala

By Philip C. Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer Filipinos are being urged to seek the intercession of 17th century Cebuano catechist and soon-to-be saint Pedro Calungsod, amid efforts to help the victims and survivors of Tropical Storm “Sendong”. Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, media office director of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), made the call a day after the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI had allowed the promulgation of a decree recognizing a miracle required by the Church for Calungsod’s canonization. “This is a big welcome development for the Philippine Church because we would now have another saint after San Lorenzo Ruiz. This will be an inspiration to the youth because Calungsod was a young catechist (when he was martyred),” Quitorio said in an interview on Wednesday. “Pray for his intercession, that we may be strengthened at this time of crisis. May his martyrdom for the faith inspire us Filipinos to serve others uncondition...

  By Ador Vincent Mayol , Candeze R. Mongaya Cebu Daily News The Philippines will have its second saint in Blessed Pedro Calungsod. Pope Benedict XVI recently approved the promulgation of decrees for the canonization of Calungsod, a young native of the Visayas region who was killed in the 16th century. No date was announced yet by the Vatican for the canonization rites, which are traditionally held in St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican’s website announced that Calungsod along with six others from Italy, France, Spain, Germany and America would  be elevated to sainthood. “This is the best Christmas gift,” said Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, chairman of the Commission on Worship of the Cebu Archdiocese. “And we should reciprocate the gift by becoming like Pedro, selfless and faithful, devoted, generous, and a true friend,” Garcia said in a text message  to Cebu Daily News. The miracle attributed to Calungsod happened in 2003. A woman pronounced cl...

The Vatican has announced the authentication of miracles attributed to Blessed Pedro Calungsod of the Philippines, though no date for canonization has been announced. Pope Benedict XVI “received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato SBD, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the promulgation of decrees [for sainthood],” said a statement from the Vatican issued yesterday. Six other Catholic martyrs were also confirmed for sainthood during the audience. “Let us pray that the Holy Father will tell us when would be the canonization,” said Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of Cebu, chairman of the committee on preparations for Calungsod’s sainthood. Monsignor Ildebrando Leyson, vice-postulator for the cause of Calungsod’s canonization, said a copy of Blessed Calungsod’s biography would be sent to all Cardinals and their reply “would still be needed before the date of the canonization is announced by the pope.” Calungsod, a 17th-century...