Antonio Gonzalez
| Saint Antonio Gonzalez | |
|---|---|
| Born |
c.1593[1] Spain |
| Died |
24 September 1637 Nagasaki, Japan |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 18 February 1981 by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 18 October 1987 by Pope John Paul II |
| Feast | 28 September |
Antonio Gonzalez (died 1637) was a Spanish Roman Catholic martyr and saint.
Life
Born in Leon, Spain, he entered the Dominican Order at the age of 16. His favorite saint was St. Peter of Verona, the Dominican proto martyr. After completing his studies, he was ordained and sent to Piedrahita as a theology professor.[1]
When an invitation was sent to their convent asking for volunteer missionaries for the Far East, Fr. Gonzales was among those who volunteered. His target destination was Japan, but he had to prepare for this mission in the Philippines. He arrived in Manila in May 1632, where he became professor and acting rector of the University of Santo Tomas.[1] In 1636, he was finally able to fulfill his dream of going to Japan. After a year, he was arrested, proudly wearing his habit to signify that he went to Japan for the sake of the Gospel. After tremendous torture, he was found dead in his cell at dawn on 24 September 1637.
Antonio Gonzalez was canonized by Pope John Paul II in October 1987 together with his companion martyrs, including St. Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila.
St. Antonio Gonzalez is among the nine Thomasian Martyrs.
References
Sources
- Lorenzo de Manila, The Proto-Martyr of The Philippines and his Companions - Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P., 1988
- Alvares, Constantino; Jose Garcia; Pedro Tejero (1989). Witnesses of the faith in the Orient: Dominican Martyrs of Japan, China, and Vietnam. Manila: Life Today Publications. ISBN 971-8596-03-8. OCLC 32442371.