Saint Alonso Rodríguez Olmedo
Spanish Jesuit killed in 1628 with Saint Roque González in the Guaraní mission lands
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Martyr, Priest, Religious, Missionary
- Life
- 1598 – 1628
- Era
- 17th century
- Feast
- 16 November
- Countries
- Spain, Paraguay, Brazil
Life story
Alonso Rodríguez Olmedo was born on 10 March 1598 in Zamora, Spain. On 25 March 1614 he entered the Society of Jesus, and in 1616 he was sent to the South American missions. After reaching Buenos Aires he travelled with his companion Juan del Castillo to Córdoba to study philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest at Córdoba in 1623 or 1624, depending on the source.
He was later chosen for the reducciones of the Río de la Plata, the Jesuit mission villages set up for the Guaraní people. There he became the collaborator of Father Roque González, a priest born in Asunción, and went with him to found a new settlement called Todos los Santos de Caaró on the eastern bank of the Uruguay River, in what is now the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, then part of the Jesuit province of Paraguay. Their joint work lasted only about two weeks.
A local sorcerer named Ñezú saw his influence threatened by the missionaries' work and decided to have them killed. On 15 November 1628 Father González was struck down with a stone club as he was preparing to hang a church bell, and Alonso was killed in the same attack, also by blows from a stone club. The sources say he was thirty. According to some accounts the bodies were dragged into the church and burned. Father Juan del Castillo was killed soon afterwards, on 16 or 17 November depending on the source.
Pope Pius XI beatified the three men in January 1934. On 16 May 1988 Pope John Paul II canonized them during his visit to Paraguay. They are commonly known together as the martyrs of Paraguay.
Works and witness
- Entered the Society of Jesus on 25 March 1614 and sailed to South America in 1616
- Studied at Córdoba and was ordained a priest in 1623 or 1624
- Worked in the Guaraní mission villages of the Río de la Plata region
- Helped Saint Roque González found the settlement of Todos los Santos de Caaró
- Killed on 15 November 1628; canonized on 16 May 1988
Saints from the same country
References
- Jesuits.global: Saint Alonso Rodríguez, biographical profile
- Jesuits.global: Saint Roque González, profile (Society of Jesus)
- Catholic.net (Spanish), Alfonso Rodríguez Obnel, santo (es.catholic.net)
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.