Giordano Ansaloni was a 17th-century Italian Dominican missionary who served in Asia. Born in Santo Stefano Quisquina, Sicily, he studied in Salamanca before being sent to the Philippines in 1625. While working as a chaplain in Manila, he acquired proficiency in Chinese and Japanese languages. He later traveled to Japan during a period of intense religious persecution, where he disguised himself to continue his religious work. He is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church for his martyrdom in Nagasaki.
Missionary work
After his time in the Philippines, Ansaloni volunteered for service in Japan. He arrived in 1632 during a time of significant persecution. To continue administering religious rites, he traveled across the country disguised as a bonze. During his travels and his time in Manila, he produced written works, including a series of lives of Dominican saints and an incomplete treatise regarding Chinese religion.
Martyrdom and veneration
Following his arrest in August 1634, Ansaloni endured seven days of torture. During this time, he was forced to witness the executions of many fellow Christians. He was executed in Nagasaki on November 18, 1634, by being suspended from a plank with his head in the ground. He was beatified in 1981 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987. His feast day is observed on November 17.