Felipe Songsong

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Songsong, Phelippe (1611 – 1685). Born to a noble family of Macabebe, Pampanga, Songsong was the second Filipino Jesuit. He was married and had a son. After the death of his wife, he entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 57 as a donado and volunteered for the mission in the Marianas under Blessed Diego Luis de San Vítores. The party of seventeen, which included Blessed Pedro Calungsod, and Sonsong's young provincemates, Nicolas de Figueroa, Juan de los Reyes and Andres de la Cruz, left for Agana aboard the San Diego in 1668. He was also savagely attacked and nearly beheaded by the natives in July 1684 but because of his strong physique despite his age, he died of the severe wounds six months later. His superiors called him "the saintly Philippine" and noted that "(his) solid virtues were an example to his countrymen, and being a noble among his people, (he) is now, we believe, from his blameless life, a most noble citizen of the Realm of Heaven." He was the great-granduncle of the Talangpaz sisters who will also be cited later.

In the last wave of aggression against the missionaries in the Marianas in 1684-85, Bro. Phelipe Songsong also gave up his life for Christ to follow his much younger colleagues to eternal life. He was both a nobleman and a noble man. His case has been covered above.

The initial processes of the cause for beatification of San Vitores were held in Guam, Manila, Mexico City and Toledo, Spain in the last quarter of the 17th century. The cause was shelved indefinitely upon the suppression of the Jesuits in the 18th century. It was revived only in 1980. San Vitores was finally beatified in 1985 and Calungsod in 2000.

Santiago, Luciano P. R. The Cornerstone: Kapampangan Pioneers in the Catholic Church (1592 – 2001). Angeles City: Center for Kapampangan Studies, 2002.