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Saint Francis de Morales
Saint Francis de Morales

Saint Francis de Morales

Feast Day
Sep 10, 2012
Patronage
Missionaries
<p>St. Francis de Morales was a&nbsp; Dominican martyr of Japan.&nbsp; He was a native of Madrid, Spain, and served for two decades in Satsuma, Japan.&nbsp; In 1614 he went o Nagasaki, and was burned alive with Blessed Charles Spinola and his companions. &nbsp;</p> <p>The shogunate and imperial governments at first supported the Catholic mission and the missionaries.&nbsp; Their thinking was that they would reduce the power of the Buddhist monks, and ultimately help their trade with Spain and Portugal.&nbsp; However, they were weary that the Spanish would take power, converting the population.&nbsp; The government increasingly seen Roman Catholicism as a threat, and started persecuting Christians.&nbsp; Christianity was banned, and those that refused to abandon their faith, were killed. &nbsp;</p> <p>On February 5, 1597, twenty-six Christians, six European Franciscan missionaries, three Japanese Jesuits and seventeen Japanese laymen including three young boys, were executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki.&nbsp; These individuals were raised on crosses and then pierced through, with spears.&nbsp; This continued sporadically, through 1632.&nbsp; In September 1632, fifty five Christians were martyred in Nagasaki in what became known as the Great Genna Martyrdom.&nbsp; By now, Roman Catholicism was officially outlawed.&nbsp; The Church remained without clergy and theological teaching disintegrated until the arrival of Western missionaries in the nineteenth century. &nbsp;</p> <p>These martyrs were canonized by the Roman Catholic Church on June 8, 1862 by Blessed Pius IX and are listed on the Church Calendar.&nbsp; It is not known how many Christians were executed in Japan as records were either destroyed or not kept. &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Practical Take Away</strong></span></p> <p>So many of these great Saints were fearless in spreading the Christian faith, to those that have never heard of Christ.&nbsp; St. Francis de Morales knew that going into Japan could cost him his life, as there were sporadic execution of Roman Catholics in that country in his time.&nbsp; He being a missionary, moved forward and preached the Gospel of Christ to those in Japan, converting many.&nbsp; He ultimately was burned alive because of his works in conversion of the Japanese people.&nbsp; We continue to learn that many gave their lives up willingly to save souls, and yet we often don&rsquo;t even study the faith ourselves.&nbsp; We have the opportunity by studying this saint&rsquo;s life, to learn the faith, and then teach it to those around us, who have not yet met Christ.&nbsp;</p>