Blessed Ignatius of Azevedo and his companions

In the meantime, Ignatius was sent to Portugal to replace the Provincial Father who had gone to Rome for the election of the successor to Saint Ignatius. He left behind a lasting memory of his zeal and rare virtues wherever he went. After fulfilling these important duties, he returned to the College of Coimbra to complete his theological studies, and then entered the professed house of Lisbon, from which he was drawn by the order of his superiors, at the request of the Venerable Bartholomew of the Martyrs, Archbishop of Braga, in Portugal, who wished to have him accompany him on the visitation he was about to make of his vast diocese. He therefore left for that city with Father Gomez, and they were received with great joy by the pious archbishop. The visitation of the diocese caused them great fatigue, which was further increased by the poor and mortified life they led; but they had the consolation of contributing to producing abundant fruits of salvation through their holy instructions and the great examples of their virtues and charity.

When they returned to Braga, Blessed I gnatius prepared to r le bienheureux Ignace Portuguese Jesuit priest and leader of the Forty Martyrs of Brazil. eturn to Lisbon; but the pious archbishop, wishing to found a college of the Society of Jesus in his city, kept him near him and appointed him superior of the new establishment. The holy religious showed in his office the same prudence, the same gentleness, and the same charity as at the College of Coimbra; he also made the wonders of his zeal, his holiness, and his humility shine forth there. He devoted himself to the most menial tasks, served in the kitchen, kept the door, swept the house, and his authority did not suffer from what thus confounded him with his lowest inferiors. It drew, on the contrary, a new luster from these humble practices, which added to the rank of superior the qualities of a saint. He knew how to steal time from his ordinary occupations to go and announce the word of God, and the astonishing conversions he made proved the blessings that the Lord attached to his preaching. The general esteem he enjoyed alarmed his humility, and to escape the testimonies of veneration of which he was the object and which he did not believe he deserved, he wrote to the General of the Society, begging him to allow him to leave Braga. The Father General having consented, Ignatius returned to Lisbon, where he made his solemn profession of the four vows in 1565. Increasingly detached from himself by a life of sacrifice, fervor, and charity, he walked rapidly on the path that leads to the palm of martyrdom, which was to crown his life full of good works and ripe for heaven.

Saint Francis Borgia having been elected General of the Society of Jesus upon the death of Father Lainez, Blessed Ignatius was sent to him to discuss the affairs of the missions in the Indies and Brazil Brésil Missionary destination of the martyrs. . The new General believed he could do nothing better than to entrust the Portuguese missions to his zeal. Upon returning to Portugal, Ignatius prepared for his departure, for shortly thereafter he was appointed visitor of the Brazil missions. He left Portugal amidst unanimous regrets and traveled in all haste toward those distant and wild lands. Scarcely arrived, he set to work, visiting all the houses of the Society, which were very far from one another.

After three years of arduous travels and continuous labor, he left Brazil and returned to Europe, carrying in the depths of his heart the thought of devoting himself henceforth entirely to those dear missions which he had just watered with his sweat and which he hoped one day to water with his blood. Arriving in Lisbon, he went to thank King Sebastian for the protection he granted to the works of the Society, then he departed for Rome and came to humbly submit to his superior, Francis Borgia, what he had already done, and to ask him again as a favor to return to Brazil. The General, after pressing him to his heart and bathing him in his tears, approved all his plans, appointed him superior of the Brazil missions, and permitted him to gather, in Spain and Portugal, as many religious as he deemed useful for his enterprise.

Before his departure, he was presented to the ho ly Po Pie V Successor to Pius IV, he supported Charles Borromeo in his reforms. pe Pius V, who gave him touching marks of his affection. Full of joy and happiness, Ignatius left Rome and then departed for Portugal and Spain, where his burning words and eminent virtues attracted many evangelical workers to him. Among his new companions was a nephew of Saint Teresa, whose virtues were then edifying the Christian world. He spent five months with his disciples in solitude and in the practices of the most fervent piety, and after having thus prepared them for all the trials of the apostolate, he prepared to embark with them. The day of departure having arrived, the Blessed Ignatius embarked, with thirty-nine of his companions, on the Saint-Jacques; the others took their places on the vessels of the royal squadron, which were leaving for Brazil. Our missionaries, through the care of Ignatius, lived in a manner as regular as if they had been in a community. The crew also experienced the effects of their zeal: they prepared the common food, carried it themselves to the sailors, and visited and cared for the sick.

The royal squadron having put in at Madeira, the captain of the Saint-Jacques wanted to get ahead of it and try to reach the island of Palma; but the Blessed Ignatius, thinking of the responsibility that weighed upon him, hesitated to run the hazards of such great peril, because this sea was then crisscrossed by Calvinist pirates. He gathered his companions and said to them: "Take courage, my dear children, God loves his little flock; in his mercy he has arranged for you the most glorious destination. Taste all your happiness in advance; take on today the most noble sentiments, most worthy of the greatness of your vocation. No, fear neither the fury nor the sword of the enemies of Jesus Christ. Henceforth turn your gaze toward heaven, contemplate the crown that is prepared for you there, fight with a humble distrust of yourself, but hope for everything from the protection of the Most High. It is very likely that we will be attacked by the Calvinists. The hatred they bear for our holy religion will determine them to take our lives. Let there be, therefore, only those who are ready to die for Jesus Christ who follow me. If there is anyone who fears death, let him remain here to await the squadron." Some, not feeling strong enough to make the sacrifice of their lives, were replaced by other brothers from the squadron and thus completed the generous troop of future martyrs.

Once the ship had set sail, Ignatius and his companions prepared themselves for their glorious destiny. As they approached the island of Palma, one of the Canaries, the vessel was attacked by a privateer commanded by Jacques Sourie, of Dieppe, a fanatical and cruel Calvinist. Blessed Ignatius, with a face inflamed as if he had seen the heavens opened, said to his companions: "Here is the happy moment to signal our love for God and our zeal for the faith. Our blood must today bear this double testimony; let us fear nothing from those who can only destroy the body. Let us fix all our gaze on heaven; let us remember what we are and what we have so often desired: the sufferings will last only a few moments, and the reward will be eternal."

After a fierce battle, the pirates invaded the ship, of which they soon became the masters. The Calvinists, drunk with joy and fury, rushed upon the prisoners. Their commander had those who had defended themselves most energetically slaughtered, and spared the others: "As for the Jesuits," he added, "kill, massacre these abominable papists, who are only going to Brazil to spread a false doctrine there." The pirates rushed upon Ignatius who, at their approach, turned toward his companions and said to them: "Courage, my brothers, let us courageously give our lives for a God who, first, gave His own for us." A saber blow split his skull and knocked him onto the deck. Although dying, he still had enough strength to say: "I attest to the angels and to men that I die in the faith of the Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church, and that I die with joy for the defense of its dogmas and its practices." He then said to his companions: "Rejoice with me in what constitutes my happiness. Hope for a similar favor, I precede you by only a few moments; today, as I expect from the divine goodness, we shall all be together in heaven." As he held tightly in his hands an image of the Blessed Virgin, the pirates tried, but in vain, to tear it from him. Foaming with rage, they threw him, still alive, into the midst of the waves.

Father Jacques d'Andrada, who had run up upon seeing Ignatius fall to give him a final absolution, was pierced by the heretics with twenty dagger blows and thrown into the sea. All the other prisoners, following the example of their superior, confessed their faith and were then all massacred and thrown into the sea. Only one, Jean Sanchez, who performed the duties of cook on the ship, was spared by the privateers because they counted on his services: it was he who later made known the details of the death of the holy Martyrs. Thirty-nine Jesuits had given their lives for their God; but the number of victims was to be completed. The nephew of the captain of the Saint-Jacques, who had asked to enter the Socie ty and w jésuites Religious order to which Peter Canisius belonged. hom Blessed Ignatius had admitted as a novice, completed the number of the forty martyrs. Their blessed death occurred on July 15, 1570.

The public cult rendered to these glorious Martyrs having spread everywhere, P ope Pi Pie IX Pope who canonized Josaphat in 1867. us IX solemnly confirmed it on May 11, 1854.

Blessed Ignatius of Azevedo is represented: 1° on the fleet where he had embarked with his companions to go to Brazil, and from where he was thrown with them into the sea; 2° encouraging the crew by raising at the foot of the mainmast an image of the Blessed Virgin, painted by Sai image de la sainte Vierge, peinte par saint Luc Image entrusted by Pope Pius V for the mission in Brazil. nt Luke. Pope Pius V had entrusted it to him to carry to Brazil; 3° in a group, with his companions in martyrdom.

We have used, to compose this biography, the Life of Blessed Ignatius of Azevedo, by Fr. de Beauvais, of the Society of Jesus.