Francis Douglas (priest)とは 意味・読み方・使い方

Vernon Francis Douglas (1910-1943) was a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban who was killed in the Philippines by Japanese soldiers in 1943. Douglas was from Wellington and 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 it at the start of 1937, to be appointed to the Philippines in July 1938. 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, 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.