As the Vatican proclaimed Pedro Calungsod as the second Filipino saint on Sunday, about a thousand youth representatives from 65 parishes participated in “Calungsod Youth Day” in Fairview, Quezon City.

Held at the Cathedral Shrine and Parish of the Good Shepherd grounds, the youth day aims to impart the martyrdom of Calungsod, the patron saint of the youth.

Alloy Peralta, director of the Amigo-Calungsod Youth Day, said that the program aims to tell Calungsod’s exploits to inspire today’s people, particularly the youth, to emulate his actions.

In honor of Calungsod’s canonization, the Commission on Youth of the Diocese of Novaliches rendered a poem about the sacrifices of Calungsod while a local theater organization presented a play about his life.

Calungsod stood by his faith when he decided not to leave embattled Jesuit priest Diego Luis de San Vitores who earned the ire of a Guam native who resisted the spread of the word of God.

Between the year 1668 and 1672, Matapang the papagur’ (tribal chieftain in Guam) had his mind poisoned by a merchant Choco who told him that the holy water used by the Jesuit priest in baptizing children in Guam was poisonous.

When news spread that Matapang had a newly born child, San Vitores and Calungsod proceeded to his place, earning the wrath of the tribal chief.

Matapang confronted San Vitores and Calungsod, and told them that he would kill them if they baptize his child.

Undaunted, San Vitores told Matapang that he can kill him but only after San Vitores baptize his child.

Matapang sought the help of his friend, Hirao, in hatching a plan to kill the Jesuit priest and Calungsod.

Hirao found no reason to kill the priest and initially refused to accede to Matapang’s wish, but he eventually gave in to the tribal chief’s request.

When Matapang learned that his child was baptized against his wish, he and his cohorts aimed a spear at Calungsod’s chest and hacked him in the head. San Vitores suffered the same faith.

Calungsod was about 18 years old at that time and he could have left San Vitores to escape imminent death.

There is no true picture of Calungsod. Peralta said that Calungsod’s image was made by Rafael del Casal, and it was approved by the Vatican in 1999.