Blessed Martin of St. Nicholas and Melchior of St. Augustine

 

 

 

Martin Lumbreras was born in Zaragoza, Spain, in 1598 and Melchior Sanchez in Granada, in 1599. Before he joined the Recollect Congregation of the Augustinian Order at the age of twenty, Martin suffered the death of his brothers – one killed while trying to establish peace between two enemies, the other an Augustinian; and that of his sisters, one a Carmelite. In 1622 he left for the missions in the Philippines.

Melchior, orphaned at an early age received the Recollect habit of the Augustinian Order at the age of eighteen and set sail for the Philippine missions in 1621. Both friars arrived at the monastery of Saint Nicholas in Manila after their ordination in Mexico City. In the Philippines, Martin was master of novices and Melchior was engaged in preaching.

In July 1632, in response to a request of two missionary confreres imprisoned in Japan, they asked to be sent there to care for persecuted Christians who had been forced into hiding. They arrived in September 1632 and began their ministry in the surrounding hills of Nagasaki until they were reported to officials. They were tortured and burned at the stake on December 11, 1632. Both were beatified by Pope John Paul II in March 1989.