Jesuit Saint

Feast of Blessed James Aloysius de San Vitores
06 October

Priest, Religious, Martyr

Diego Aloysius de San Vitores was born of a noble family in Burgos (Spain) in 1627, entered the Society in 1640, and was ordained in 1651. He wanted to go to the foreign missions and in 1659 was assigned to the Philippines. The following year he left Spain for Mexico, where he worked on mission and street preaching. In 1662 he was finally able to sail across the Pacific to the Philippines where he was dean of the University in Manila 1666. When a mission opened in Ladrones Islands (now the Marianas), Diego was chosen to lead it; he arrived in Guam in 1668. On April 2, 1672, he visited the village of Tumon, where one of his first converts turned against him, killed him, and threw his body into the sea. He was beatified by John Paul II in 1985. Diego is remembered for his missionary zeal in preaching God's word to native population and is acknowledged as the "apostle of Marianas." He is very much loved in Marianas.

(From Jesuit Sacramentary)