July 25th: Blessed Alphonsus Pacheco and Anthony Francisco, SJ

Alphonsus Pacheco was born in Minaya, Spain. His family was one of the old families of Castile. He attended the Jesuit College at Belmonte and at the age of eighteenth, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Villarejo de Fuentes and later studied at Alcala. His desire was to go to the Japanese mission but his request was turned down because his superior thought he could do more good in Europe. In 1574, Fr Alessandro Valignano came to Alcala to recruit volunteers for the Far East missions. Alphonsus made known his desire to imitate St Francis Xavier and that his request was refused him by his provincial. Fr Valignano kept him in mind although he could not change the provincial’s decision. However when one of the forty, a religious brother recruited fell ill and was from Alphonsus’ hometown, Toledo, Fr Valignano immediately wrote to the Toledo’s provincial requesting for a replacement for the sick brother and mentioned Alphonsus Pacheco as a possibility. The provincial withdrew his prohibition and instructed Alphonsus to go as he interpreted this request as God’s choice.

Alphonsus arrived in Goa in September 1574 and was ordained and made assistant to the rector at St Paul’s college, a position he held for three years before he was made assistant to the provincial. He returned to Europe to oversee the Goanese mission affairs and two years later he returned to Goa with thirteen new missionaries, one of whom was Anthony Francisco. Fr Pacheco was appointed superior of the Salsette mission until Fr Acquaviva relieved him in 1583.

Anthony Francisco was a Portuguese and was born in Coimbra and studied at its famous university. He was so inspired by the martyrdom of Fr Ignatius de Azevedo and his companions in 1570 that he entered the Society in 1571, so that he too could go to the missions. He arrived in Goa with Fr Pacheco in 1581 and continued his theological studies at St Paul’s college and was ordained in 1582. Fr Francisco was assigned to the Moluccas but as a result of his ship being wrecked shortly after leaving Goa, he was appointed to the mission at Orlim on the Salsette peninsula. His active missionary career lasted only a few months.

When Fr Acquaviva arrived in Salsette to take over a mission superior, Fr Pacheco served as his guide and introduced him to several of the missions. The four Jesuits spent the night of July 24 at Fr Francisco’s mission at Orlim after the conference of Jesuits at Verna. The next morning after they celebrated Mass, the group headed southward for Cuncolim to begin the visitation of all the villages in Salsette. There in Cuncolim on July 25, 1583, the five Jesuits were martyred. The first to die was Fr Acquaviva, followed by Fr Berno and Br Arunha.

When Fr Pacheco saw the hostile Hindu villagers massacring his companions, he boldly face the assailants and said, “ Strike me, it is I who have destroyed your idols.” Immediately a lance pierced his breast. Extending his arm in the form of a cross, he prayed,” Lord, you were pierced with a lance for me. I ask you to pardon those who have wounded me and to send them to other missionaries to lead them to heaven.” As he was praying another lance pierced his throat and Fr Pacheco died saying the name “Jesus.”

The last to fall was Fr Francisco; his head was split open and his body riddled with arrows. All the five Jesuits were between thirty and thirty-five years of age. Their bodies were recovered from a well where they were thrown into and taken back to the mission in Goa. They were beatified by Pope Leo XIII on April 2, 1893.