Bl. Peter To Rot

Month of Saints - Day 7

For today's Saint, I have decided to head out to another part of the world - New Guinea.

Blessed Peter To Rot was born in 1912 on the island of New Pomerania - now part of Papua New Guinea. Peter was the third of six children. His parents had become Catholic Christians in 1898.  Although education was not obligatory, Peter was sent to the mission school at the age of 7.  At 18, he began a three year course of study at Saint Paul's College of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Taliligap, after which he was commissioned as a catechist for the parish of Rakunai in 1933.

When Japanese forces occupied New Guinea in 1942, they interred foreign missionaries.  The Parish Priest left To Rot in charge of his parish - he became the acting leader of the parish.  The Japanese restricted religious services, then banned them all together. To Rot continued to hold services secretly until he was denounced by a native policeman who wanted to take a second wife, which was opposed by To Rot as contrary to Catholic teaching.

Peter To Rot was imprisoned for his opposition to bigamy.  He was later poisoned - he was just 33 years old and left a pregnant wife and two children.  He was buried in the church cemetery in a silent funeral as the people were afraid to violate the Japanese ban on public prayer.  His tomb soon became a place of pilgrimage.

Bl. Peter To Rot was named one of the Patron Saints of World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008.  His feast day is July 7.