meehawl

all that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned

Peter, Martyr of San Francisco

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Cungagnaq … received the Christian name of Peter when he was baptized into the Orthodox faith. [In 1815] he was captured by Spanish sailors, who took [him] to San Francisco for interrogation. With threats of torture, the Roman Catholic priests in California attempted to force the Aleuts to deny their Orthodox faith and to convert to Roman Catholicism. When the Aleuts refused, the priest had a toe severed from each of Peter’s feet. Peter still refused to renounce his faith and the Spanish priest ordered a group of California Indians to cut off each finger of Peter’s hands, one joint at a time, finally removing both his hands. They eventually disemboweled him, crowning his life with martyrdom.

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