St. Devasahayam Pillai
Facts
Birth: April 23, 1712
Death: January 14, 1752
Beatified: Pope Benedict XVI
Canonized: Pope Francis
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Saint Devasahayam Pillai was born in the Kingdom of Travancore in India in 1712. After encountering the Catholic faith, he was baptized and took the Christian name Lazarus, or Devasahayam. His conversion led him to defend the dignity of the poor and to proclaim the Gospel despite opposition.
Because he refused to renounce the Catholic faith, he was arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and killed in 1752. He was the first Indian layman to be canonized. Pope Francis canonized him as a martyr on May 15, 2022.
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