DescriptionGraveyard of Fr. Francisco Palliola, SJ in Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte - Flickr.jpg | Orig. Flickr desc: 372nd Death Anniversary of Fr. Francisco Palliola, SJ. January 29, 2020 in Ponot (Jose Dalman), Zamboanga del Norte. Padre Francesco was killed in Ponot, then a seaside barangay of Katipunan town on 29 Jan 1648. He was born 10 May 1612, entered the Society in 1637, arrived in Manila July 1643, in Dapitan in Dec 1644. He mastered Visayan and preached in it. But seeing how the lumad community of Subanon could barely understand Visayan, he studied and learned the Subanon language. He is credited as being the first European and Jesuit to do so. While stationed at Dapitan, he went on missionary journeys to establish the settlements of Dipolog, Dicayo and Duhinong. When Josef Zanzini (aka José Sanchez) was assigned as his assistant, he left Zanzini in charge of the Visayan communities while he devoted himself to the lumad. He established visitas as far south as the boundaries between present-day Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. While visiting Ponot to reconcile a Subanon named Tampilo, who had turned away from the Christian faith, he was killed by Tampilo and his co-conspirators in the early morning of29 Jan. While dying, he forgave his enemies, commended himself to Jesus and Mary. He died clutching the rosary and a crucifix he brought from Europe. Since his death 368 years ago, his memory lingers in Zamboanga del Norte. A street in the Municipality of Manukan is named after him. He figures in the oral stories of the Subanon, remembered as a loving and protective father. The site of his martyrdom has been a place of pilgrimage over the years. (Taken from phjesuits.org) |