Dominik Castellet Vinale was a Spanish Dominican priest and missionary who lived from 1592 to 1628. Born in Esparaguera, Catalonia, he joined the Dominican Order in Barcelona in 1608. He spent several years performing missionary work in the Philippines after arriving in Manila in 1615. Later, he traveled to Japan, where he faced intense persecution from local authorities attempting to suppress Christianity. He was eventually arrested and executed in Nagasaki, becoming one of many martyrs during this period.
Life and martyrdom
After beginning his religious life in Spain, Castellet traveled to the Far East to serve the Church. Following his time in the Philippines, he arrived in Japan in 1621. In 1628, he was detained in Kuwara before being moved to Nagasaki. There, he was burned alive on Nishizaka Hill alongside numerous other Christians, a consequence of the strict anti-Christian policies enforced by the Japanese government at the time.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognizes him as a blessed martyr. He was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1867 as part of a group containing 205 Japanese martyrs. His feast day is observed on September 10, commemorating his death and his role as a missionary in Japan.