Peter To Rot was the first saint to be canonized from Papua New Guinea. His canonization was celebrated by Pope Leo XIV on 19 October 2025 in St Peter’s square. Peter To Rot was a lay catechist who was martyred in 1945 for continuing his apostolate despite a ban imposed by the Japanese who occupied Papua New Guinea at the time. His parents were baptized Catholic before his birth. He was instructed in the faith by his parents and by the missionaries of the Sacred Heart. When the Japanese invaded the island, they at first just banned missionaries from evangelizing the faith, but then after a period of time, banned all from practicing the Christian faith. Peter To Rot was arrested for his defense of Christian marriage, which conflicted with the traditional customs on the island that allowed polygamy. He died on 7 July 1945 while in prison. He was honored as a martyr of the faith by Pope John Paul II at his beatification in 1995.
This week we hear from the prophet Hosea in the first readings at daily mass. Hosea prophesied before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 8th century BC. Hosea was unhappy with the kings and princes who had been chosen by the people as their leaders. Many of them had made false idols for worship that led the people away from God. We can compare the leaders that Hosea calls out to the leadership Jesus embodies in today’s Gospel. Jesus is the good shepherd to the people, a servant who leads by example. Jesus has compassion for our burdens and for the troubles we face. We should expect the same servant leadership in our elected officials and in our Church leaders. Our readings from Hosea and Matthew’s Gospel are certainly relevant to our lives today.
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