The Company of Witnesses

     On this 28th day of September, the Church in her celebrations remembers a number of witnesses, to which I would like to add another.

     Today the Church recognizes a member of the Bohemian royal family who became king.  His name was Wenceslaus (of Christmas carol fame) and he lived in the early 900's.  Raised as a Christian, he worked hard to promote order in the kingdom and allowed the free practice of the Christian Faith.  His brother resented him and had him put to death so that he could take over the throne.  He was acclaimed as a martyr, and is the patron saint of the Czech Republic.

     Also today, witnesses from a different time and place - Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his companions, who ministered in Japan and were put to death there in the 1600's.  Lawrence was married and the father of three who joined a Dominican expedition to Japan, and was martyred in Nagasaki in 1637, becoming the first Filipino martyr.  Also included in this group were Spanish Dominican priest Dominic Ibanez de Erquicia, a Japanese Dominican Francis Shoyemon, Japanese Dominican priest James Kyushei Tomonaga, Michael Kuroboiye (a Japanese lay catechist), Lucas Alonso of the Holy Spirit (another Dominican Spanish priest) and novice Matthew Kohioye of the Rosary .

     Also included were Antonio Gonzalez, William Couret, Niguel de Aozaraza, Vincent Schiwozuka and Lazaro of Kyoto who all died during another persecution in 1637.  You rarely see the names of the other "companions" ... so I thought that I would include them here today.

      And then, in the October issue of The Priest magazine, I came across the name of another martyr for the Faith in our time that has a local connection.  In February of 1938 the body of a young Maryknoll priest was discovered in China.  After eleven days of being held by robbers, he was murdered in Huai-Jen.  His name was Father Gerard Donovan.  He had served in missions in China for seven years before he became the first Maryknoll priest to give his life in China.  Father Gerry Donovan was born in our neighboring town of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, one of seven children (two others of whom were also Maryknoll missionaries).  The city of McKeesport is much diminished in numbers and industry (as are so many towns in Southwestern PA), but it continues to be strong in faith.  It lies within the Pittsburgh Diocese.  I had never heard of Father Donovan, but was moved by his witness in China in the last century... and the martyrs of Japan in the 17th century ... and good King Wenceslaus in the 10th century.  They are part of that vast company of holy men and women that strengthen our Faith.