A
block-printed map of Nagasaki, Hizen province in 1778. The map includes tables
giving distances of various important places from Nagasaki. Plan
of Nagasaki, Hizen province
Bienheureux Antoine de
Saint-Bonaventure & Dominique Castellet
Prêtres, religieux et
laïcs martyrs à Nagasaki au Japon (+ 1628)
Les uns étaient franciscains espagnols, et d'autres religieux dominicains japonais. Avec eux furent martyrisés 19 laïcs japonais appartenant au Tiers-Ordre de Saint Dominique.
Antoine de Saint-Bonaventure, franciscain, et Dominique Castellet, dominicain, étaient prêtres.
Leurs compagnons étaient religieux et laïcs, qui tous, même des enfants, subirent le martyre pour le Christ: Lucie-Louise, veuve, Jean Tomachi et ses fils, Dominique, Michel, Thomas et Paul, Jean Imamura, Paul Sadayu Aybara, Romain Aybara et son fils Léon, Jacques Hayashida, Matthieu Alvarez, Michel Yamada et son fils Laurent, Louis Higashi et ses fils François et Dominique.
À Nagasaki au Japon, en 1628, les bienheureux martyrs Antoine de
Saint-Bonaventure, franciscain, Dominique Castellet, dominicain, tous deux
prêtres, et vingt compagnons, religieux et laïcs, qui tous, même des enfants,
subirent le martyre pour le Christ.
Martyrologe romain
Blessed Martyrs of Japan
(AC)
Died at Nagasaki, Japan,
1628 (1634?); beatified in 1867. These brave Christians all grew up amid scenes
of terror, when Christians were dying regularly, yet they maintained the faith
and developed it. The most complete information I have comes from the Dominicans
and concentrates on just two of the martyrs, but will provide some background.
There may be other martyrs that should be included in this list, but these are
the ones I found:
Antony (Blessed) of Saint
Bonaventure, OFM -- Born in Tuy, Galicia, Spain, 1588. After studying in
Salamanca, Blessed Antony joined the Franciscans. He was appointed to serve in
the Manila mission, where he was ordained priest. Thereafter he migrated to
Japan, where he is recorded to have reconciled 2,700 apostates before he was
burned alive.
Antony (Blessed) of Saint
Dominic, OP Tert. -- 20-year-old native of Japan, a member of the Third Order
of Saint Dominic, and a friend of Blessed Dominic Castellet, the vicar
provincial; beheaded.
Dominic (Blessed) of
Nagasaki, OFM -- Native catechist, who, while he was imprisoned at Omura,
received the Franciscan habit from Blessed Antony of Saint Bonaventure; burned
alive.
Dominic (Blessed) Nifaki
-- Two-year-old son of Louis Nifaki, beheaded.
Francis (Blessed) Nifaki
-- Five-year-old son of Louis Nifaki, beheaded.
James (Blessed) Fayaxida,
OP Tert. -- Japanese layman who joined the Dominican tertiaries before his
decapitation for the faith.
John (Blessed) Tomaki, OP
Tert. -- Japanese layman, member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, a very
active Catholic and the proud father of four sons who were also martyred:
Blessed Dominic (age 16), Michael (age 13), Paul (age 7)
John (Blessed) Inamura,
OP Tert. -- Japanese layman, member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, beheaded
for assisting the missionaries.
Jordan (Blessed) of Saint
Stephen, OP -- Born in Sicily, Jordan became a Dominican and read all he could
about the Oriental missions. When someone from the Philippines requested help,
he convinced his superiors to send him. So, he joined other missionaries
sailing from Seville, Spain, for the New World. During the voyage, he
translated a biography of Saint Dominic from Spanish into Latin.
In Manila he was
appointed infirmarian to the Chinese hospital so that he could learn Chinese
and Japanese. He also studied the religious customs and superstitions of the
people he would be teaching. Eventually he went to Japan disguised as a Chinese
layman--it is unknown how a Sicilian could possibly do that!
Few priests were still
able to preach during the persecutions. Once Jordan was saved by Blessed
Dominic of Eriquicia. He was not as lucky on the Feast of Saint Dominic, when
Thomas of Saint Hyacinth and he decided to visit a group of Christians who had
not had a priest for eight years. That night one of the Christians warned them
that the emperor's soldiers were nearby hunting for an Augustinian. The two
priests tried to escape to prevent endangering the Christians, but were caught.
They were imprisoned for
three months, repeated interrogated. During this time a native who spoke
Portuguese came to them, pretending to be a Christian who had apostatized. He
trampled on the crucifix, and the priests, heavily chained, tried to rescue it.
They were condemned to die in the pits by being burned alive after undergoing
the water torture--it took seven days for them to die. Dorcy relates that
Jordan and Thomas of Saint Hyacinth were martyred on November 11, 1634; the
Benedictine do not list Jordan and set the date for Thomas on September 8,
1628.
Laurence (Blessed) Jamada
-- member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, son of Blessed Michael Jamada,
beheaded.
Louis (Blessed) Nifaki,
OP Tert. -- Like Blessed John Tomaki, Louis was a Japanese member of the
Dominican tertiaries. He was beheaded with two of his sons, Blessed Francis
(age 5) and Dominic (age 2), for sheltering missionaries.
Matthew (Blessed) Alvarez,
OP Tert. -- Beheaded because he was a native catechist and a member of the
Third Order of the Friar Preachers.
Michael (Blessed) Jamada,
OP Tert. -- Another Japanese layman and Dominican tertiary who was beheaded.
Michael (Blessed) Tomaki
-- 13-year-old son of John Tomaki, beheaded.
Paul (Blessed) Aybara, OP
Tert. -- Japanese catechist beheaded for the faith.
Paul (Blessed) Tomaki --
seven-year-old son of John Tomaki, beheaded.
Thomas (Blessed) of Saint
Hyacinth, OP -- Thomas was another native catechist, born in Nagasaki and
trained by the Jesuits who had also trained his parents as catechists. Thomas
joined the Dominicans in Manila, the Philippines, where he was ordained. His
scholastic record at the University of Santo Thomas was good; he perfected his
Spanish and studied everything that he thought would make him more useful as an
evangelist. As an able theologian, Thomas was the model of all virtues. With
three others dressed as laymen, he made his way back to Japan through Formosa.
They worked in the Dominican mission in Japan until each was caught; Thomas
lasted the longest--four years. He was burned alive with Blessed Dominic
Castellet (Benedictines, Dorcy).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0908.shtml
Beati 22 Martiri di
Nagasaki
>>> Visualizza la
Scheda del Gruppo cui appartiene
† Nagasaki, Giappone, 8
settembre 1628
Martirologio
Romano: A Nagasaki in Giappone, beati Antonio da San Bonaventura,
dell’Ordine dei Frati Minori, Domenico Castellet, dell’Ordine dei Predicatori,
sacerdoti, e venti compagni, martiri, alcuni dei quali laici e molti bambini:
tutti subirono il martirio per Cristo con la spada o sul rogo.
