Blessed Peter Kibe is an inspiring saint who overcame great prejudice to follow God’s call to serve.

Peter was born in 1587 in Bungo, Japan. His parents were Christians, an often-persecuted minority in Japan. When he was a teenager, Peter decided he wanted to become a Jesuit.

In 1614, the emperor ordered a deportation of Christians, and Peter was exiled to Macau, an island off the coast of China. In Macau, however, Peter got to learn Latin and theology at seminary. Peter applied for ordination, but the Jesuits in Macau were deeply prejudiced against native priests. Peter was determined, however. He left the school with the goal of attending seminary in Rome. Taking a ship around the coast of India, Peter landed in Goa, where St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary, had landed many years before.

From Goa, Peter traveled on foot to Rome. He was the first recorded Japanese Christian to arrive in Jerusalem. After three years, Peter finally arrived in Rome. The Jesuits interviewed Peter and ordained him a priest in 1620, at St. John Lateran.

Fr. Peter Kibe departed Rome in 1623 for India. Peter wanted desperately to go back to his home of Japan. He knew this was dangerous, due to the persecution of Japanese Christians, but he knew he had a calling to serve the beleaguered Christians in his home country. After landing in Japan, Peter secretly made his way to Nagasaki, and ministered to the Christians there. In 1639, Peter was caught at the home of Christians who had been sheltering him. He was sent to meet with Fr. Cristóvão Ferrerira, a Jesuit who had rejected the Christian faith and now helped the emperor dissuade priests from practicing their own faith (as featured in Shusaku Endo’s stirring novel Silence).

Peter Kibe withstood torture and the psychological pressure from Ferreira, encouraging Christians who were also being tortured. Finally, the frustrated palace guards ran him through with a spear.

Fr. Peter Kibe was beatified on November 24, 2008 in Nagasaki, Japan. Over 30,000 people were in attendance.

Blessed Peter Kibe, who walked across the world to follow his vocation—pray for us!

Image Credit: Statue of Peter Kibe in Father Petro Kasui Kibe Memorial Park