Tuesday, February 5, 2013

A CRUEL CRUCIFIXION

A CRUEL CRUCIFIXION 

               St. Gonsalo Garcia (St. Gundisalvus Garcia in Latin) was born in 1557 in Vasai (Bassein) , a coastal town of western India, about 30 miles north of Bombay (Mumbai). He was the first Indian to attain sainthood. He was one of the 26 Christian martyrs crucified on 5th February, 1597 at Nagasaki in Japan. Nagasaki was the site of the second nuclear bombing (on 9 August 1945) during the final stages of World war II.
              He joined the school of Jesuits at Vasai at the age of seven after the death of his parents. Rev. Fr. Sabastian Gonsalves, S.J. was his teacher, friend and guide throughout his life. He learned from this Father about the missions in Japan and decided to proceed to Japan as a missionary. He learned the Japanese language and started his voyage to Japan along with Rev. Father Gonsalves in 1572.Garcia learned the Japanese language and culture and they worked together in a mission station near Nagasaki for eight years. Garcia served as a catechist. His firm faith, amiable nature and  proficiency and fluency in the Japanese language drew a large number of people to Christianity. Later he joined the Franciscan order and was ordained as a Friar (lay brother).
            As a member of the Spanish mission, he continued his missionary services in Japan. His simple life style and zeal to serve the poor, sick and lepers influenced many and drew them to Christian faith. The ruler of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Taikosama) was misled by the words of the boastful Captain of a Spanish ship. The ruler suspected that the missionaries were agents of the king of Spain and were attempting to overthrow him from the throne. His physician, who hated Christians, exploited the situation. The ruler ordered that the Christian missionaries shall be arrested and killed.
           On 8 December, 1596, Garcia was arrested along with 25 Christians and they were force-marched to the city of Nagasaki. They were tortured on the way. They reached a hill in Nagasaki in the morning of 5 February, 1597. While Garcia, chained to his cross, sang hymns praising God, the assassins pierced him with two spears which passed through his heart and killed him. The others  were also crucified and pierced with spears (lances). The 26 martyrs included 6 Franciscan missionaries (including Garcia), 3 Jesuits and 17 lay Christians including three young children. Their martyrdom inspired the remaining Christians and drew a large number of Japanese people to Christianity. The site of their crucifixion is venerated as a sacred place. The TWENTY SIX MARTYRS were beatified by Pope Urban VIII on 14 September 1627 and canonized by Pope Pius IX on 8 June 1862. The feast of St. Gonsalo Garcia is celebrated on 6 February every year.
           St. Peter teaches us, "However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name" {1 Peter 4: 16}.
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© By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally,  Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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