Saint John of Goto

Saint John Soan de Goto (Yohane Gotō), born in 1578 on one of the Goto Islands (Japan) and executed on February 5, 1597, in Nagasaki (Japan), was a Japanese Jesuit seminarian. Along with 25 other Christians, he was crucified in hatred of the Christian faith. The Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan were beatified on July 3, 1627, by Pope Urban VIII and canonized on June 8, 1862, by Pope Pius IX. Together with the 25 other martyrs, John Soan de Goto is liturgically commemorated on February 6.