St Peter the Aleut

Little is known about Saint Peter the Aleut, who is remembered today in the Orthodox Church, other than the fact that he was brought to the Faith by Orthodox missionaries in Alaska and put to death by Roman Catholic missionaries in California.

St Peter was one of fourteen Aleut fishermen who, in 1815, were intercepted by Spanish sailors and brought to San Francisco for questioning. The Franciscans there insisted that the fishermen convert to Roman Catholicism or suffer torture. The captives refused, informing their captors that they were, in fact, already Christians. So the priests locked up the Aleuts in prison cells. They took Peter and severed a toe from each of his feet, while his companions watched. Still he refused to accept the Catholic faith, insisting that he was already a baptized Christian.

The Franciscans then set a group of local Indians to work, cutting off all of Peter's fingers one joint at a time, and then removing his hands and feet. All the while Peter refused to convert, even while they disembowled him.

After Peter died, the priests threatened to continue torturing the remaining fishermen one at a time until they converted. However, during the night, the priests received orders from their superiors to free the prisoners.

The fishermen finally returned to the monastery in Alaska and told the abbot, Father Herman, what had happened. When he heard about Peter he exclaimed, "Holy new-martyr Peter, pray to God for us!"

I wondered as I first read about St Peter whether there was a single one of the more than thirty-thousand Christian denominations in the world of whose truth I was so convinced that I would rather suffer torture than renounce. I think I can honestly say that if any Christian clergyman—even a Calvinist!—started chopping off my fingers I'd join their flock. That's sad to say, but it's true. And I'd justify it by saying, "What's the difference? They're still Christians."

St Peter is one of several thousand martyrs that Orthodox Christians look to as an example of devotion to Truth.

For more information:
OCA biography
Peter the Aleut
Article at OrthodoxWiki
From All Saints of North America