Blessed Alphonsus Pacheco

detail of a 17th century painting depicting the martyrdom of the five Jesuits in Cuncolim, Goa, India; date and artist unknown; swiped from Wikimedia CommonsAlso known as

  • Alfonso Pacheco

Memorial

Profile

Born to the New Castilian nobility. Joined the Jesuits on 8 September 1567. In September 1574, he arrived in Goa, India as a missionary. Priest. Rector of Rachol in 1581. Accompanied two punitive Portuguese expeditions against the pagans in the village of Cuncolim. One of the Martyrs of Cuncolim.

Born

  • c.1551 at Minaya, Catalonia (in modern Spain)

Died

  • hacked to death by scimitars and spears on 25 July 1583 on Salsette near Goa, Italy
  • body thrown into a well
  • water from the well was reputed to have healing properties
  • the body was fished out after two and a half days, showed no decomposition, and was buried at the church of Our Lady of the Snows at Rachol
  • relocated to the college of Saint Paul at Goa in 1597
  • an arm and a leg were returned to his family in Europe in 1609
  • relics relocated to the cathedral of Old Goa in 1862

Venerated

Beatified

Additional Information

MLA Citation

  • “Blessed Alphonsus Pacheco“. CatholicSaints.Info. 4 July 2018. Web. 9 December 2021. <>