Peter Chanel

About Peter Chanel

Peter Chanel was a French Marist priest and the first martyr of Oceania. Sent to evangelize the Pacific islands, Peter worked on Futuna island (near Fiji) from 1837. Despite initial hostility, he learned the language, helped the sick, and gradually won converts. When the chief's son converted, the chief ordered Peter killed. He was clubbed to death on April 28, 1841. His martyrdom led to the chief's conversion and eventually the entire island became Christian. Peter was canonized in 1954.