Padre Francesco Palliola. aka Francisco Paliola, Paleola
Born Nola, Naples, Italy • 10 May 1612; Died Ponot, Zamboanga • 29 January 1648
Of his parents, childhood and youth, we know little. He entered the Society of Jesus on 2 February 1637 completing his priestly studies and being ordained. While he could have looked forward to an ecclesiastical career which would reward him with set income and prestige, he chose instead to enter the Jesuit novitiate. After completing two years, he went on to study Grammar for another two years. One day he heard at the community table, reports from the Indies about the great labor of Jesuits, the need for more workers, and about the many souls lost for lack of workers, and finally, the martyrdom of many. He asked the superiors with all the enthusiasm to be sent East, and set sail for the Philippines, where he arrived in the year 1643.
He volunteered to be sent to the island of Mindanao, which was a most challenging field because of its extent, the variety of tribes and religions and to strong presence of Islam, which makes the island’s conversion to Christianity difficult.
Padre Francesco was quite successful in his actions. He ministered to the baptized as a loving pastor, so much so that even the non-Christians recognized him as saintly. He established settlements or reductions, to better catechize and serve the people as was the common practice of those days. But there was a powerful native leader, who after being baptized, abandoned the faith and returned to his animistic practices. Through his example and influence, he persuaded others to abandon the Faith. Padre Francesco, seeing that he could not make any progress with this person and his followers, asked that they come to his house, where they could stay for a set time.
The apostate took this opportunity to gather a crowd of followers, including women and visited the Padre. Armed to the teeth, the crowd went to the priest’s convento. The native leader drew a dagger and slit the Padre’s throat while another thrust a spear through his shoulder bone into his heart, killing him instantly. They then went on to desecrate the cross Padre Francesco had, and destroyed; then they went on a rampage and desecrated the church, destroying the religious images and using the chalice and paten for their drinking bouts.
The other Christians learned of his martyrdom and holy death, and they came for his body and buried it with much honor and venerating him as a martyr of Christ. In Manila a fiesta for all was declared celebrating his martyrdom. He died on 29 January 1648. He was 36 and 11 years of those years he spent in the the Society.
Padre Francesco Paleola continues to be venerated as a holy person and numerous reports claim answered prayers to those who come to his tomb.
lifted from: http://whatsinthearchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/next-saint-for-philippines-may-be.html
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