From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

June 20th - Bl. Francis Pacheco, SJ and Companions

Fr. Pacheco was the most experienced Jesuit who died a martyr during
the Great Persecution in Japan between 1617 and 1632. At the time of
his arrest, he was provincial superior of the Jesuits and apostolate administrator of the diocese and his imprisonment was a serious loss
to the Christian community struggling to survive the persecution.

Fr. Pacheco was born in Ponte di Lima, near Braga, Portugal. As a
youth he heard of the exploits of missionaries in Japan and dreamed of imitating them. While at the Jesuit school in Lisbon, he also watched
the annual departure of the Jesuit missionaries and this further
strengthened his resolve to be one and thus he decided to join the
Society in 1585. His request to go to the missions was only granted
seven years later and his first stop was Goa, India where he continued
his studies. He then went on to Macao to further continue his studies
before being ordained.

Fr. Pacheco finally set forth for Japan in 1604 and spent four years
in the capital of Osaka, Miyako (today's Kyoto) before taking up his
next appointment as head of the Jesuit college in Macao. In 1614, he
returned to Japan and became vicar general to Bishop Luis de
Cerqueira, and was based in Nagasaki until the promulgation of the
shogun's decree in 1614 banishing all foreign missionaries and
forbidding Japanese Christians to practice their religion. Fr.
Pacheco's exile in Macao was a short one as he returned secretly to
Japan the following year, disguised as a merchant, and took up
missionary work at Takaku and the islands of Amakusa and Kani. During
those years of fierce persecution he sadly saw thousands of Christians
give up their religion under governmental pressure and fear of
torture. He also witnessed the terrible deaths of his brother Jesuits
and hundreds of Christians who remained steadfast in their faith,
though it meant beheading or death by slow fire . Fr. Pacheco knew
that the longer he remained in Japan the closer was his martyrdom.

Following his appointment as the Jesuits' provincial superior, Fr.
Pacheco moved his residence from Nagasaki to the seaport of Kuchinotsu
in Arima which had better security and better contact with the Jesuits
in Japan. The search for Jesuit missionaries was intensified when more
spies were recruited by Shogun Iyemitsu. Fr. Pacheco was betrayed by
his former host, an apostate who because of the reward money and
hoping to gain favour with the district governor revealed where he was
staying. With 200 soldiers surrounding the house Fr. Pacheco and two
of his catechists, Paul Kinsuke and Peter Kinsei were arrested with
two others staying in the next house. The Jesuits, the catechists,
their hosts and families were all arrested and placed in a dungeon in
Shimabara where they had to endure the damp and cold winter. Within a
few days, Fr. John Baptist Zola and his catechist, Vincent Kaun were
added to their number.

While in prison, Fr. Pacheco admitted the four catechists into the
Society and transformed his group of prisoners, including the lay
persons into a quasi-religious community with set time for rising,
prayer, meditation, fasting and doing penance to prepare and
strengthen themselves for the martyrdom to come. Their greatest sorrow
was their inability to celebrate Mass, recite the breviary and recite
the rosary as all these had been taken away from them. Finally on June
20, 1626, the prisoners were brought to Nagasaki where two other
prisoners, Fr. Balthasar de Torres, SJ and his catechist, Michael Tozo
were included. The final number was nine Jesuits and nine Christians
and all were escorted to the Martyrs' Hill where the executions were
to take place. The Jesuits rejoiced in seeing each other and embraced
for the last time. They were the first to die. The government kept the Christians aside hoping that some would apostatize but watching the
martyrs die only strengthened their faith. They were kept in a prison
in Nagasaki, determined to die for Christ. They were martyred on July
12, 1626.

Fr. Pacheco and his 8 Jesuit companions, together with the nine Christians = were
included among the 205 martyrs beatified by Pope Pius IX on May 7, 1867.


Saint Quote:
The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring,
and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and
who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us.
-- Saint Francis de Sales

Bible Quote:
The last shall be first, and the first last. (Matt. 20:16)


<><><><>
Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we renew our pledge of love and loyalty to Thee.
Keep us always close to Thy loving Heart,
and to the most pure Heart of Thy Mother.

May we love one another more and more each day,
forgiving each other's faults as Thou forgivest us our sins.
Teach us to see Thee in the members of our family
and those we meet outside our home.
Please help us keep our love for Thee always
strong by frequent Mass and Communion.

Thank Thee, dear Jesus, King and Friend of our family,
for all the blessings of today. Protect us during this night
=C2 Help us all to get to Heaven!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom come!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for our family!

St. Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart, pray for us!

Our patron Saints and guardian Angels, Pray for us! Amen.

--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)