Book Review: The Apostle of the Marianas by Alberto Risco

The Apostle of the Marianas: The Life, Labors, and Martyrdom of Ven. Diego Luis de San Vitores 1627-1672 by Alberto Risco

This book from the 1970s was published by the Diocese of Guam to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the death of Father Diego Luis de San Vitores. He was a Spanish Jesuit who had a vision of himself dying as a martyr in Asia. He was born in 1627 and grew up in a well-to-do family. His family objected to his vocation but he was able to enter the priesthood early. After his vision in seminary, he kept asking to be sent to China or Japan. The order sent him to the Philippines, which meant stops in Mexico and the Pacific. He spent a few years in Mexico teaching at a university while he waited for a ship to the Pacific. He finally sailed west. The Spanish ships typically stopped in the Marianas Island, which were called the Ladrones Islands at the time. When Father Vitores saw the natives bringing out fruit and fresh water to the ship, he recognized them from the vision and wanted to stay. He obediently continued on to the Philippines where he worked as a professor, though he did plenty of street preaching. He kept requesting to be sent to Guam, the main island where the Spanish stopped for resupply. He sent letters to the head of his order and to his father to get help. Securing the islands both spiritually and as a port was attractive to the Spanish government, so they sent orders and some supplies for missionaries to go with some soldiers to establish a fort.

Father Vitores worked tireless among the natives and made many converts. As with any community, some were uninterested in the Christian faith and some were openly hostile. A war broke out between two villages on Guam, eventually turning into a fight against the Spanish soldiers and priests. After several other priests died, Father Vitores was also martyred. After his death, more personnel and resources were sent to the islands and the Spanish continued with their typical inculturation of the natives.

The book is an interesting mixture of scholarly research and hagiographic indulgence. The author did some thorough research in the Philippines and in Spain. Occasional footnotes cite letters from Vitores's time and a few other books on the Jesuits's activities. The author also is not shy about attributing miracles and visions to Father Vitores and his companions. For example, a priest on a different island had a vision of heavenly music and lights the night before Father Vitores came on a surprise visit. At another time, a painting of St. Francis Xavier (who was an inspiration for Father Vitores) in Spain sweated and wept when Father Vitores was suffering on the other side of the globe. I don't mind details like that but I do see how they can be hard to swallow.

Father Vitores was beatified in 1985 by Pope John Paul II, which is the second step (after being declared Venerable) on the way to canonization (i.e., being declared a saint).

Mildly recommended.