Francesco Palliola, SJ (May 10, 1612 – January 29, 1648) was an Italian Jesuit priest and missionary in Mindanao, Philippines. Due to his missionary work and faith healings, the Diocese of Dipolog opened a cause for martyrdom on January 6, 2016,[1][2][3] and was formally closed in September 2017 by Bishop Severo Caermare at the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Dipolog City.[4][5]


Francesco Palliola

Born(1612-05-10)10 May 1612
Nola, Naples, Italy
Died29 January 1648(1648-01-29) (aged 35)
Ponot (now Jose Dalman), Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
Grave of Francesco Palliola in Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte

The Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints has declared as valid the investigation into the beatification process for a 16th-century Jesuit missionary who served in Mindanao.[6][7]

Life edit

Padre Francesco was born on 10 May 1612 in Nola, Naples, Italy.[7][8]

Palliola was on his way home from Sindangan to Dapitan while riding a horse when a certain bandit, a converted native named Tampilo, carrying a long bolo suddenly appeared, attacked, and beheaded him leading to his demise. The priest's body was then buried along the wide stretch of a beach at Sitio Tabang near the townsite and is still present today.[7][9]

References edit

  1. ^ "Philippines opens sainthood process for Italian Jesuit". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  2. ^ Cadion, Jong (6 January 2016). "First step towards sainthood: Diocesan process for cause for Martyrdom of Francesco Palliola opened". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. ^ "1648". Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "Cause for martyrdom of Fr. Francesco Palliola moves to Vatican". SunStar. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  5. ^ Cabato, Regine (28 November 2017). "The Italian Jesuit missionary who died for the Lumad". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  6. ^ Lagarde, Roy (December 4, 2018). "Sainthood cause advances for Jesuit missionary in Mindanao". Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
  7. ^ a b c "Church opens diocesan process for Fr. Palliola's martyrdom". Sun.Star. January 8, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  8. ^ Torres, Joe (25 January 2019). "Jesuit slain in Mindanao moves closer to sainthood". PREDA Foundation. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Zamboanga del Norte : Municipality of Jose Dalman". Old Website of Province of Zamboanga del Norte. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 20 January 2003. Retrieved 21 November 2020.