Fr Paul reads from Mark’s Gospel (6: 30-34) in which Jesus tells the apostles to go away by themselves to a lonely place so they may have some rest, and shares a little about St Paul Miki and his companions, whose memorial we celebrate today.

Fr Paul tells us that Paul Miki was born in Japan between 1564 and 1566, we are not sure exactly when. We know that he joined the Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits and in that role, he preached the Gospel to the Japanese people with great success. Then a persecution of Catholics took place in Japan and St Paul Miki and his 25 companions were arrested. They were mocked, tortured, and then taken to Nagasaki. On 15 February 1597, they were all bound to crosses and speared.

Fr Paul says, today, as we remember and celebrate the lives of St Paul Miki and his companions, we to ask them to pray for us.