St. Alphonsus Rodriguez |
One of three martyrs of River Plate along with St. John del Castillo and St. Rocco Gonzalez.
Alphonsus was thrilled to work with the latter, the very experienced missionary Rocco Gonzalez, but this mission was not to last long, for both were to be martyred.
Alphonsus was ordained in 1624 and then went to the Reductions in Paraguay
along the River Plate. He and Rocco Gonzalez
immediately set about erecting the cross at whose base they would preach.
Since the Jesuits were making noticeable progress among those Indians,
the witch doctor Nezti saw that his influence was waning and decided to
kill them and prepared an ambush. On 15 November Alphonsus went into the
woods to fell a tree to use as a bell pole on which to hang the chapel
bell. The hired hands fell on the two priests, killed them, threw their
bodies into the church and set it on fire. Alphonsus was 30 years old and
had been on the mission for 15 days.
( from left to right )
St.Rocco Gonzalez, St.Alphonsus
Rodriguez and St.John del Castillo