This week in Christian history: Jesuits killed in Va., pope canonizes saint, black UMC caucus formed

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, January 31, 2021

Jesuits martyred in Virginia — February 4, 1571

This week marks the anniversary of Catholic priest Juan Baptista de Segura and a group of Jesuit missionaries being martyred for their faith in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A native of Spain who joined the Society of Jesus in 1556, Segura pressured Florida Gov. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to allow him to travel to the region, then called “Ajacán.”

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The Jesuits arrived in September of 1570, setting up the mission near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. They reported through correspondence with a Spanish official in Cuba that they were initially well-received by the native population.

However, a Native American warrior named Paquiquineo murdered three Jesuits who had traveled to his village to meet with him. He then led a group to the mission site and killed everyone except an altar boy, according to Encylopedia Virginia.