Redemptus of the Cross, OCD (also Redemptorus of the Cross; 15 March 1598 – 27 November 1638) was a PortugueseCarmelitelay brother. He was put to death, along with other members of a group sent to Aceh by Portuguese authorities.
Life
Redemptus was born Tomás Rodrigues da Cunha in Paredes de Coura, Portugal on 15 March 1598.[1][2] He first served as a soldier in the Portuguese army in India, where he joined the Carmelites in Goa as a lay brother in 1615, taking the name Redemptus of the Cross.[3]
Once in Aceh, all the members of the mission were seized and arrested,[4] at the instigation of the Dutch authorities based in Jakarta.[5] They were then subjected to torture, and those members of the mission who refused to deny their faith were executed one by one. The two friars were led to a desolate spot on the seashore, where Redemptus was shot with arrows, after which his throat was slit.[6] Father Denis, a crucifix in his hands, was the last to die, his skull shattered by a blow of a scimitar.[4]
Castro, the ambassador, was the only survivor. He was held in captivity for three years, until his family paid a large ransom for his release.[citation needed]
Veneration
Redemptus of the Cross was beatified on 10 June 1900 by Pope Leo XIII, together with Denis of the Nativity. Their feast is 29 November.[4]
References
↑"Tomás Rodríguez da Cunha". Martyrs et Saints (in French). 13 October 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
