ORLANDO | Hundreds of Filipinos from around the Diocese of Orlando gathered at St. John Vianney Parish to remember and honor two martyrs, San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod.

The assembly of faithful came from as far as Lakeland to the west and Rockledge to the east. Celebrating, as is customary, was the youngest of the diocese’s 17 Filipino priests, Father Nathanael Soliven, pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Lakeland.

Angelica Salgado is a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo in Orlando and recalled when San Pedro Calungsod was beatified by St. John Paul II, March 5, 2000. She was a teenager living in Cebu, Philippines in the Visayas region, Calungsod’s home of origin. Her family ran a dance company and was asked by the Archdiocese of Cebu to perform the future saint’s story about the young boy who was an outstanding catechist.

At age 14, Calungsod was chosen to accompany Spanish Jesuit missionaries to the Marianas Islands. Four years later, he traveled to Guam with Father Diego San Vitores, now a Blessed, and his companions. There they baptized many, but a criminal from Manila began spreading rumors that the baptismal water was poisoned. Some infants ill from other diseases died and the rumor took root.

In April 1672, Calungsod and Vitores went to Tumon Village and offered the ruler, Chief Matapang, an invitation to become Christian. Afraid of the rumors, he refused. But when he was gone, his wife had their two daughters baptized. Upon his return, the ruler ordered Calungsod and Father Vitores to be tortured, killed and thrown in the bay.

Salgado and several friends participated in the performance depicting Calungsod’s life. They were fish in the bay. Her memory focuses around the cultural and artistic aspect of the celebration. “But it was also for me something interesting because we never had somebody that was a saint that was a young boy,” she said. Calungsod died at age 17, almost the age of Salgado at the time.

Pope Benedict XVI canonized Pedro Calungsod October 21, 2012.

Today, she hopes celebrating San Pedro Calungsod and San Lorenzo Ruiz, reminds the Filipino community they have these Filipino saints “to look up to.” She said there are other Filipinos who are Servants of God, in the process of being canonized in the future and prays for this to be so.

San Lorenzo Ruiz was the first Filipino saint to be canonized. He was a calligrapher who married and had three children. As a young man he served as an altar boy. At age 36 he was falsely accused of murder and fled the country on a ship bound for Okinawa. On the ship he met Dominican priests and joined them. They were unaware that Christians were persecuted in Japan. All were arrested and asked to denounce their faith in God. They remained steadfast and in September, 1637 were tortured to death.

For Father Glenn Lopez, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Winter Haven, said the martyrdom of both men highlights their love of God and evangelization. Martyred outside of Philippines, they brought the faith to other countries. “It speaks so well to many Filipinos, and not only Filipinos, but all migrants of the world,” he said. Noting many Filipinos leave for better opportunities, he said they never forget their commitment to spread the Word of God.

“They are leaving the country not just for themselves, but they realize that many of them have really become ambassadors of the faith. They have become evangelizers in many other parts of the world.”

He said, “Filipinos, good and faithful Catholic Filipinos feel the churches are very, very alive in their faith and because it’s part of the tradition in the Philippines, our faith must be lived outside the confines of our homes. It is something that we share and that’s part of our evangelization and that speaks a lot about the ministry to the Filipinos in the Diocese of Orlando.”

Father Lopez focused on the Filipino call to “become ambassadors of the faith, and we witness our faith.” Of the saints he said, “They are really great inspirations for us because many of us suffer, sometimes are discriminated against, and sometimes people go places and they don’t have families, but that’s essentially when they come together as people of faith.”

Both saints were martyred young. Father Lopez hopes this encourages youth to witness to their faith. Speaking of San Pedro Calungsod he said, “despite the possibility of dying for the faith, he did not shy away from it, and he faced it with great confidence and courage. So, I think for our young people, really, to stand for their faith and to be visible out there and then to be outspoken and then to really defend the faith if possible.” He said something as simple as making the sign of the cross can take great courage. “Jesus said, go into the world and make disciples of all nations. You have to be out there, so I think young people nowadays, they can really make a lot of difference.”

By Glenda Meekins of the Florida Catholic staff, October 1, 2026