Saint Pedro Calungsod was born around the year 1654 in the Philippines somewhere in the Visayan Islands. He was martyred at age 17 alongside Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores while on mission in Guam and is recognized as the patron saint of Filipino youth.
 
Early in life, Pedro developed a vibrant and devout faith. He was educated as a catechist and volunteered to accompany Jesuit missionaries to Guam. At age 14 he was chosen alongside other exemplary young catechists to do just that, and he accompanied Spanish Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitroes to the islands. This Jesuit mission was funded by Maria Ana of Austria, Queen Regent of Spain and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. During this time in history, the island chain that Guam is associated with would come to be known as the Marianas Islands after the influential Spanish queen. Calungsod’s mission, alongside his fellow missionaries, was to catechize those native to the island of Guam — specifically the Chamorro people.
 
During his missionary efforts, many people were baptized and joined the Christian faith. In a short period of time, Calungsod learned Spanish and developed relationships with the local people, helping to catechize many villages despite harsh conditions, an island territory sometimes difficult to navigate, and often a lack of supplies. It was in 1672 in the village of Tumon when he and San Vitores really ran into trouble.
 
While in Tumon, an immigrant man from China named Choco who was exiled to Guam due to his criminal acts in Manilla, began to spread rumors among the native peoples. He claimed that the baptismal water used by the missionaries was poisonous and the reason that some sickly infants in the village died. This rumor sank its teeth into the population and, encouraged by the local religious leaders whose power was threatened by the men’s missionary work, it inspired intense persecution of the missionaries. Despite this, Calungsod and San Vitores answered the request of the Christian wife of Tumon’s chief — Chief Matapang — to baptize their children.
 
Chief Matapang, believing the rumors started by the exiled man Choco, forbade the baptism and conversation to Catholicism. At his wife’s request the missionaries went ahead and still baptized their children while he was out of the house. This enraged the chief and roused him to enlist some fellow villagers to violently attack and kill both Calungsod and San Vitores. It is said that at one point during the attack, Calungsod had a chance to escape but, instead, he did his best to help defend his friend San Vitores and they both perished. Following their deaths Chief Matapang tied them to large boulders and dumped their bodies into the water at Tumon Bay.
 
Pope John Paul II approved the martyrdom and beatification of St. Calungsod on December 19, 2011, and Pope Benedict canonized him on October 21, 2021, on world Mission Sunday, 340 years after his death. Pope John Paul II hoped that the young martyr’s cause for sainthood would be an inspiration to young people everywhere.