Stephen Pererius
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Stephen Pererius | |
|---|---|
 Painting, 1774 | |
| Apostle of Senria Missionary Martyr | |
| Born | Estevão Tiago Lopes Pereira da Cintra September 23, 1506 Cintra, Luzela |
| Died | December 3, 1552 Ubeyama, Senria |
| Venerated in | Solarian Catholicism |
| Beatified | October 20, 1620, Saint Peter's Basilica, Solaria, by Pope Pontifex |
| Canonized | February 28, 1622, Saint Peter's Basilica, Solaria, by Pope Pontifex |
| Feast | December 3 |
| Attributes | Cassock, stole, ferraiolo, catechism, crucifix, rosary, spear, martyr's palm |
| Patronage | Foreign missions; missionaries; Luzela; Padaratha; persecuted Sotirians; Satria; Senria; Society of the Evangelites |
Stephen Pererius, less commonly Stephen Perry (born Estevão Tiago Lopes Pereira da Cintra; Solarian: Stephanus Pererius; Luzelese: Estevão Pereira; Esmeiran: Esteban Pereira; Gaullican: Étienne Pereire; Etrurian: Stefano Perera; Senrian: 어쑤떠반・뻐레라, Esuteban Pereira), venerated as Saint Stephen Pererius, was a Luzelese, later Paretian, Solarian Catholic missionary and martyr, first of the Martyrs of Senria, venerated for his missionary work in Coius and his role as a co-founder of the Society of the Evangelites.
Born in the town of Cintra, Luzela, Pererius was one of the eight individuals who founded the Evangelite order in Verlois, Gaullica in 1534. Returning to his native Luzela after !ignatius of loyola received approval for the order from Pope Pontifex, Pererius subsequently voyaged to Satria with Luzelese merchants in 1541, spending the next several years undertaking missionary work in modern-day Padaratha, focusing particularly on the construction of local missions and seminaries, which he believed were necessary for the propagation of the faith; these efforts were regarded as broadly successful by Pererius and his companions. In 1546, Pererius encountered the Senrian tankenhei Einosuke Akaza, converting him to Sotirianity; in 1548, he set out to Akaza's hometown of Ubeyama, hoping to establish a mission in Senria, becoming the first Sotirian missionary to Senria in the process. He sought an audience with the Senrian emperor in 1550, hoping that his conversion might result in the mass conversion of the Senrian archipelago; these efforts were unsuccessful, however, and he left Keisi to return to Ubeyama after five months. A lack of familiarity with the Senrian language hampered his ability to proselytize, as did hostility from the established Tenkyou, Zohist, and Badi clergy; this made his efforts less successful than those in Satria.
Amidst increasing wariness by Senrian elites of growing Euclean influence, and rumors that Sotirian missionaries and merchants were destroying shrines and selling Senrians into slavery, the daimyou Tadaharu Matunaga banned Sotirian missionary work within his domain. While most of Pererius's companions left, he remained in the hope of convincing Matunaga to reverse the decree. He was crucified and speared to death on Matunaga's orders on December 3rd, 1552.
Pererius was subsequently canonized by Pope Pontifex in 1622; Pope Pontifex declared him co-patron of all foreign missions, alongside !therese of lisieux. He is one of the patron saints of the Society of the Evangelites, alongside !ignatius of loyola; co-patron saint of Luzela, alongside [tbd]; co-patron saint of Satria, alongside Thomas the Apostle; patron saint of Padaratha; and co-patron saint of Senria, alongside Francis Kisai.