Rev. Fr. Francis Vernon Douglas, SSC

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Rev. Fr. Francis Vernon Douglas, SSC

Vernon Francis Douglas (1910-1943) was a priest of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban who was killed in the Philippines by Japanese soldiers in 1943.

A priest-martyr of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban who was brutallybeaten and tortured in the Church of Paete, in the Province of Laguna and later killed by Japanese soldiers in 1943. He was born in Johnsonville, near Wellington, New Zealand, the fifth of eight children (five sons and three daughters) of Kathleen Gaffney and her husband, George Charles Douglas, an Australian-born railway

worker. His mother was a devout Catholic from County Sligo, Ireland, and his father became a Catholic in 1926.[1]

Douglas trained for the Catholic priesthood at Holy Cross Seminary, Mosgiel. Within a few months of his ordination, at the end of 1934, he applied to join the Missionary Society of St. Columban. He was curate at New Plymouth when he left to join the society at the start of 1937. He was appointed to the Philippines in July 1939. He was posted to Pililla. Five years later during the Japanese occupation he was taken by secret police looking for information on guerillas who were very active in his area. Over three days he was savagely beaten and had a cruel torture of the water cure, the presumption being that police were trying to extort information from him about guerillas whose confessions he may have heard. He remained silent through it all, and was last seen on the evening of 27 July 1943, very weak but still conscious, being put on a truck with a guard of Japanese soldiers. He was not seen again and his grave has never been found. It was only after the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation at the end of 1944 that the Columbans could start to piece his story together. What emerged was a picture of a priest, aged 33, who could be regarded as a martyr, having demonstrated outstanding priestly fidelity (especially to the Seal of Confession). He is remembered in the name of a boys college in New Plymouth, Francis Douglas Memorial College.

18/05/2026

𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐄𝐕. 𝐅𝐑. 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒, 𝐒𝐒𝐂
𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟮, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝟲:𝟬𝟬𝗮𝗺 - 𝗘𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Matapos ang mahigit 8 dekada, sa araw ng kanyang kapanganakan tayo ay magsama-samang salubungin ang imahen ni Reb. Pd. Francis Vernon Douglas, SSC na ipinagkaloob sa ating dambana.

Ang pagdating at pagtanggap natin sa imahen ni Padre Douglas sa ating dambana ay isang simbulo ng ating pasasalamat sa kanyang mga naiambag sa ating parokya noong mga panahong siya ay namalagi sa ating bayan bilang kura paroko (1938-1943).

Nais ng tagpong ito na muling buhayin ang mga gawa at pangaral ni Padre Douglas hindi lamang sa ating bayan ngunit sa lahat ng Mananampalatayang Kristiyano. Ito ay ang gawin ang lahat ng walang pagsisisi.

Bilang isang sambayanang nagpupuri sa mga biyaya ng Panginoon, tayo ay magsama-samang magpasalamat sa kanyang pagkakaloob ng isang pastol sa katauhan ni Padre Douglas. Ang Banal na Misa ay sa ika-22 ng Mayo, 2026, sa ganap na ika-6 ng umaga.

"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨." - 𝙍𝙚𝙫. 𝙁𝙧. 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙨 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝘿𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨, 𝙎𝙎𝘾

03/11/2025

Like Fr. Francis Vernon Douglas a Martyr of our faith. let us pray that soon his martyrdom will be recognize by the church.

amen!

CHURCH NEWS | CBCP names seven new Filipino martyrs of the 21st Century

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has identified seven modern-day witnesses of faith who gave their lives for the Gospel, Fr. Rhoel Gallardo, Fr. Marcelito Paez, Alberto Pinagawa, Junrey Taub Barbante, Janine Orcia Arenas, Evangeline Salces Aromin, and Riza Ramos Daniel.

Their names have been submitted to the Vatican’s Commission of the New Martyrs as the Church continues to honor the “saints next door” who embody courage, justice, and unwavering faith in Christ.

Photos: CBCP News

07/06/2023

03/06/2023

A healthy & blessed Holy po 🙏🙏🙏

01/06/2023

Ano daw ba ang nauna???
📖Biblia o ang ⛪Banal na Misa? Ang SAGOT 🙏 https://www.facebook.com/reel/3453814264873093?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz

24/04/2023

01/04/2023

| APRIL 01, 2023
SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD

The memorial of Saint Pedro Calungsod, the Philippines' second canonized saint is observed every April 2. However, this year, his memorial coincides with Palm Sunday. According to Msgr. Ildebrando Leyson, the postulator for the cause of Calungsod's canonization, if April 2 falls within the celebration of Holy Week or the Octave of Easter, the celebration of the memorial of Saint Pedro Calungsod will be commemorated on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. Hence, his memorial this year will be observed on April 1.

+ Pedro was born in Ginatilan, Philippines.

+ Educated by the Jesuits, he learned to write and speak Visayan, Spanish, and Chamorro. A gifted young man, he was also trained in painting, singing, and carpentry. He began to work alongside the Spanish Jesuit missionaries as a lay catechist.

+ In 1668, he accompanied the missionaries to the Mariana Islands. Despite the violent opposition they encountered, the missionaries succeeded in spreading the Christian Faith in a number of villages.

+ Saint Pedro Calungsod was martyred on 2 Apr 1672, at Tomhom, Guam, while trying to defend Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores from an attacking mob. He was canonized in 2012.

+ Because they were martyred together, the Church celebrates the memory of both Saint Pedro Calungsod and Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores on Apr 2.

---

PRAYER

We humbly beseech the mercy of your majesty, almighty and merciful God, that, as you have poured the knowledge of your Only Begotten Son into the hearts of the peoples by the preaching of the blessed Martyrs Pedro and Diego Luis, so, through their intercession, we may be made steadfast in the faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.
________________________

Sources:

(1) St Pedro Calungsod — Aleteia

(2) Pintakasi PH

12/10/2022

Paete Laguna

23/11/2021

Tomorrow is RED WEDNESDAY!
Together, we are RED WITHOUT FEAR

24 November | 6PM | San Roque Cathedral |
Mass Presider : Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, DD.
Bishop of Kalookan

Address

2000 M. H. Del Pilar Street, Malate
Manila
1004

Telephone

+6324005876

Website

http://columban.org/

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