Paul was born in Japan, the son of a Japanese military leader. He joined the Jesuits in 1580 and became known as a famous preacher. Nine years before his martyrdom, the Japanese emperor had ordered all Christians out of Japan.
The story of Pedro Calungsod shows us that young people can do great things. Born in the Philippines, Pedro was only 13 when he joined a group of Spanish missionaries who were going to travel to the Marianas Islands to teach the native people about God.
Born in 1864 and raised in a large farm family in Spain, José entered the seminary in 1876 when he was only 12 years old. After ordination in 1887, he worked as a parish priest and was a professor at the seminary in Madrid.
Martyrs are people who die for their faith. In China, where Christian faiths were not allowed to be practiced for many centuries, there were many martyrs.
When he was 29 and fighting against the French who were attacking Pamplona, a cannonball shattered his leg. Ignatius spent a year in bed recovering from his wounds. When he was 30, Ignatius turned from working as a soldier to working as a missionary for God.
Three missionaries went to Paraguay to share the Good News of Jesus with the native people. These Jesuit priests preached about Jesus and God’s saving plan for all people. Many Paraguay natives listened and believed in their message. They asked to be baptized and began to live new lives as Christians.