Thomas of Zumárraga


Thomas of Zumárraga and Lazcano was a Roman Catholic Missionary from Spain. He was beatified in May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.

Biography

Thomas was born in Vitoria, in 1577. In 1594, he was professed in the Order of Preachers in Vitoria. After he entered the Convento de San Esteban de Salamanca, he received the name of Fray Tomás del Espíritu Santo . In 1601, he was sent to Mexico en route to the Philippines. Shortly after arriving, in 1603, Fray Francisco Morales, superior of the Dominicans in Manila, sent him to Japan to found a mission..
He hid in the mountains, in the area of Nagasaki and Ōmura. He was captured on 23 July 1617. After five years of imprisonment, was burnt alive on 12 September 1622.