Catholic painters today
While in Guam, Calungsod preached Christianity to the Chamorros through catechesis , while baptizing infants, children, and adults at the risk and expense of being persecuted and eventually murdered.
Catholic artists today
Through Calungsod and San Vitores's missionary efforts, many native Chamorros converted to Catholicism. Few details of the early life of Calungsod spelled Calonsor in Spanish records are known. Historical records do not mention his exact birthplace or birth date and merely identified him as " Pedro Calonsor, el Visayo ". Nonetheless, all four locations were within the Diocese of Cebu at the time of Calungsod's martyrdom.
Proponents of an Ilonggo origin argue that in the early Spanish period, the term " Visayan " exclusively referred to people from the island of Panay and the nearby islands of Negros and Romblon. In contrast, people from Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte were called " Pintados ". However, American historian and scholar John N. The Cebu camp reasoned that Ginatilan contains a high density of people surnamed Calungsod and that during the beatification process, they were the initial claimants to having been Calungsod's birthplace.
The Calungsods of Iloilo also claim to be the oldest branch, based on baptismal records containing the surname "Calungsod" dating to circa , compared to branches in Cebu and Leyte, which possess baptismal records dating only to and , respectively. In Cebu, Calungsod received primary education at a Jesuit boarding school, mastering the Catechism and learning to communicate in Spanish.
Catholic artists paintings
He also likely honed his drawing, painting, singing, acting, and carpentry skills, as these were necessary for missionary work. The mission nevertheless persevered, and a significant number of locals were baptized. A month after the martyrdom of San Vitores and Calungsod, a process for beatification was initiated but only for San Vitores.
Political and religious turmoil, however, delayed and halted the process for centuries.