St. Peter Chanel (1803–1841) was a French priest of the Society of Mary, the Marists, who went as a missionary to the Pacific island of Futuna, between Fiji and Samoa, lived there for three and a half years with patience and kindness, and was killed on April 28, 1841, by men sent from the island’s king after the king’s son asked to be baptized. Within a few years almost the whole island became Christian. He is the first martyr and the patron of Oceania. His feast day is April 28. Below are his story, Scripture and a prayer to St. Peter Chanel.
A short prayer to St. Peter Chanel, written for this page:
St. Peter Chanel, you left your homeland to bring Christ to the islands of the Pacific and sowed the faith with your blood.
Pray for the peoples of Oceania and for all missionaries,
and help me to be patient and kind with everyone I meet. Amen.
Who was St. Peter Chanel?
Pierre Chanel was born on July 12, 1803, at Cuet, in eastern France, to a farming family, and tended sheep as a boy until a parish priest noticed his intelligence and piety and prepared him for the seminary. Ordained in 1827, he served as a parish priest and in 1831 joined the newly founded Society of Mary, the Marists, hoping to become a missionary. In 1836 Pope Gregory XVI entrusted the Marists with the missions of western Oceania, and Peter sailed with the first group under Bishop Pompallier.
In 1837 he landed on Futuna with a lay brother. The king, Niuliki, welcomed them at first, and Peter learned the language, cared for the sick and won the people’s affection by his gentleness and patience. Few were baptized at first, but when the king’s son, Meitala, asked to become a Christian, the king, fearing the loss of his authority, sent his son-in-law, Musumusu, with a band of warriors, who clubbed Peter to death on April 28, 1841. Within two years most of Futuna was Catholic, and so it remains. He was canonized in 1954.
Scripture
“How beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings” (Isaias 52:7, Douay-Rheims):
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: of him that sheweth forth good, that preacheth salvation, that saith to Sion: Thy God shall reign!
What is St. Peter Chanel the patron saint of?
- Oceania, the Pacific islands, Australia and New Zealand
- Missionaries
Feast day
The optional memorial of St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr, is April 28, the day of his martyrdom, which he shares with St. Louis de Montfort.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the first martyr of Oceania?
St. Peter Chanel, killed on the island of Futuna in 1841.
Where is Futuna?
In the South Pacific, between Fiji and Samoa; it is part of the French territory of Wallis and Futuna.
When is his feast day?
April 28.
More saints
- St. Damien of Molokai
- St. Francis Xavier prayer
- Total consecration to Mary (St. Louis de Montfort)
- St. Paul Miki and companions
- Patron saints of countries
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Isaias 52:7 (Douay-Rheims).