Saint Peter Chanel (1803-1841)
Image: Catholic Online
(EWTN) Born in France Cuet near Belley, as a young boy Peter worked as a Shepherd until the local Parish Priest recognizing something unusually special in him convinced his parents to let Peter study in a school that he had started. From there, Peter went on to the seminary where it was said of him:
“He had a heart of gold with the simple faith of a child and he led the life of an angel.”
Peter was Ordained a Priest and assigned to a parish at Crozet in SE France, in just three yrs, Fr. Peter had transformed the Parish.
In 1831 Fr. Peter joined the the newly founded ‘Society of Mary’ since he had long dreamed of becoming a missionary but for 5 yrs he was assigned to teach at the seminary in his hometown of Belley. Finally in 1836 Fr. Peter’s dream was realized and he was sent with other Marists (members of the ‘Society of Mary’) to the islands of the Pacific.
Fr. Peter endured great hardships, disappointments, frustrations and almost complete failure as well as the opposition of the Futuna tribe leader (Chieftain) Niuluki — Fr. Peter’s worked seemed hopeless, only a few had been Baptized and the local Chieftain continued to be suspicious and hostile. When the Chieftain Niuluki own son asked for Baptism, Niuluki became so angry that he sent his warriors to kill Fr. Peter, he was killed without uttering a word of complaint.
Martyr for Jesus Christ: Fr. Peter’s violent death on this date in 1841 at the age of 38 brought about the conversion to Christianity many of the people of Futuna living there and many remain Catholic to this day.
Fr. Peter Chanel was Beatified in 1889 by Pope Leo XIII and Canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII
Thought of the Day: Success or failure is often not completely in our hands and sometimes we have to face what seems almost certain failure but success is not required of us only fidelity. St. Peter Chanel’s work ended in his own death in the face of what seemed total failure. Out of that failure, God brought about the success that Fr. Peter was seeking.
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Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Visit: -USCCB