St. Peter Chanel
Patron of Oceania
1803 - 1841
In St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr (Feast day - April 28) The protomartyr of the South Seas, St. Peter Chanel was born in 1803 at Clet in the diocese of Belley, France. His intelligence and simple piety brought him to the attention of the local priest, Father Trompier, who saw to his elementary education. Entering the diocesan Seminary, Peter won the affection and the esteem of both students and professors. After his ordination he found himself in a rundown country parish and completely revitalized it in the three year span that he remained there. However, his mind was set on missionary work; so, in 1831, he joined the newly formed Society of Mary (Marists) which concentrated on missionary work at home and abroad. To his dismay, he was appointed to teach at the seminary at Belley and remained there for the next five years, diligently performing his duties.
In 1836, the Society was given the New Hebrides in the Pacific as a field for evangelization, and the jubilant St. Peter was appointed Superior of a little band of missionaries sent to proclaim the Faith to its inhabitants. On reaching their destination after an arduous ten month journey, the band split up and St. Peter went to the Island of Futuna accompanied by a laybrother and an English layman, Thomas Boog. They were at first well received by the pagans and their king Niuliki who had only recently forbidden canabalism. However, the kings jealousy and fear were aroused when the missionaries learned the language and gained the people's confidence; he realized the adoption of the Christian Faith would lead to the abolition of some of the prerogatives he enjoyed as both highpriest and sovereign.
Finally, when his own son expressed a desire to be baptized, the king's hatred erupted and he dispatched a group of his warriors to set upon the saintly head of the missionaries. Thus, on April 28, 1841, three years after his arrival, St. Peter was seized and clubbed to death by those he had come to save. And his death brought his work to completion - within five months the entire island was converted to Christianity.
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St. Peter Channel, please pray for me to remain firm and cheerful, and do not flinch in adverse circumstances
Dear Saint,
Kindly imbue the catholic priests and nuns with missionary zeal for the harvest. Enlighten them to the teachings of Our Lord and spread his Gospel through out the world. Help them to understand their Call to bear witness to Christ as you have marvelously done. Let the faithful who leave the church return and many more brought back to salvation through the church. Pray for me that I would become worthy of such grace to become martyr for Christ. Amen.
Please pray for Gwen, Michelle, Jacob and all cancer patients especially the children. Thank you Dear God for making me cancer free. My sister Gwen needs all your prayers now. Let her recover fully from her surgery.
28th april 2013:st peter chanel sm pray for us!
He was the frst martyr of Oceania i believe
st Peter pray for us. ♥
St Peter Chanel please pray for us so that we can achieve our goals.
Dear St. Peter Channel, Please continue to pray for us.
St. Peter Chanel, pray for us. Amen.
St Peter Chanel was declared a martyr and beatified in 1889. He was canonised in 1954 by Pope Pius XII
Dear St. Peter Channel, Through your martyrdom, the whole island was baptized!
Please pray for us!
St Peter Chanel is an inspiration to the church in Oceania. He was one of the early Marists to die in Oceania. He died that the faith may grow...........
Each year my parish family and I say a prayer and reach into a bag with Saint's names. We ask that the saint will chose us. This year St. Peter Chanel is the name Iof the saint who "chose" me, I but knew nothing about him. The suggestion for prayer was to pray for more missionaries, now I know why. We study the life of the saint and he becomes our companion for the year.
This was someting that was done in the convent of St. Maria Faustina and I understandd it was a practice started by The Little Flower.
Everyone in our parish seems to look forward to finding out which saint has chosen them for the year.
I know that Peter Chanel is the oatron of ociania but does any one know why
Umm, when was he beautified, and when was he canonised is what i really wanted to know
Peter Chanel was born in Cuet, not Clet
hi angel here are blessings from st peter chanel i love you mommy xxx