Francesco Palliola
| Francesco Palliola, SJ | |
|---|---|
| Servant of God, Jesuit Priest; Martyr | |
| Born |
10 May 1612 Nola, Naples Italy |
| Died | 29 January 1648 (aged 35) Ponot (Jose Dalman), Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 29 January |
Servant of God Francesco Palliola, SJ (May 10, 1612 – January 29, 1648) was an Italian Jesuit priest and missionary in Mindanao, Philippines who was martyred due to his ministry in christianizing native people.
Through because of his holy and examplary life, his cause for beatification was officially opened on January 6, 2016 led by the Diocese of Dipolog.
Padre Francesco was born into nobility, in the town of Nola in Naples, Italy, on May 10, 1612. He entered the Society in 1637, arrived in Manila July 1643, in Dapitan in Dec 1644. He mastered Visayan and preached in it. Fr. Palliola joined some 40 Jesuits on an expedition to the Philippines. After a trip of over two years, he finally landed in Iligan on January 2, 1644, beginning a mission in Mindanao that would take him to Dipolog, Dapitan and the rest of the Zamboanga Peninsula, spreading the Catholic faith to the locals, including the lumads.
Fr. Palliola was martyred at Ponot, now Jose Dalman town, on January 29, 1648 by Tampilo, a converted native leader who had left Catholicism, and who the priest was trying to bring back to the faith. He died at the age of 37.
A painting of Fr. Palliola, showing a dagger piercing his throat, remains at the archives of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Together with traditions passed on since his death, and written records of individuals who have been healed after praying to him, the painting is a reminder of Fr. Palliola's lasting impact on the people of the Peninsula. His gravesite, marked by a modest memorial, continues to be regularly visited by those who seek his intercession.
Work on Fr. Palliola's sainthood has been a collaborative effort involving not just the Diocese of Dipolog but also the Jesuits and the Augustinian Recollects who had worked in the area.
On the eve of the opening of Fr. Palliola's cause, Bishop Beniamino Depalma of the Diocese of Nola also sent a message to his counterpart in Dipolog, expressing their joy and support.
Bishop Severo Cagatan Caermare of the Diocese of Dipolog said they are hopeful of Fr. Palliola's cause. "Padre Palliola may have been Neapolitan, an Italian by birth; but his love for God, his great passion for mission and caring for the people of the Zamboanga Peninsula, particularly the Subanon lumad, made him truly Mindanaoan" he said. He added that though Fr. Palliola lived close to 400 years ago, he continues to care for his adopted homeland to this day, interceding for people in need—including fisherfolk who carry on the tradition of stopping by his grave to pray for a good catch. With the opening of the cause for his martyrdom, an investigative process is now set in motion, to ascertain the authenticity of his life, the renown of his sanctity, and the miracles attributed to him.
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