Peter To Rot’s story begins before his birth with his parents’ conversion to Christianity. Missionaries of the Sacred Heart brought the gospel to Papua New Guinea in the late 19th century. Peter’s father, the leader of their people, not only accepted the missionaries but also asked to join their faith and was baptized. He gave the missionaries land to build a church, where he and his family became regular attendees and volunteers.
As a child, Peter would often altar serve at Mass and help the missionaries. At 18, he was encouraged to become a catechist. In a mission church, catechists play a vital role. They reach people whom the missionaries otherwise could not reach, and they are able to convey the gospel in a particularly appropriate way for the local people. One of the most profound responsibilities of the catechists was to baptize.
The role of a catechist would be especially important for Peter in 1942 when Japanese forces took control of Papua New Guinea. They imprisoned all missionaries, but allowed the catechists to remain free, initially. Peter and the other catechists were under close supervision but continued to minister to the faithful on the island for one year. Then, the Japanese banned all practice of Christianity, and Peter began ministering to Christians in secret.
But near the end of World War II, Peter could not stay in hiding any longer. Japanese officials, in an attempt to win favor with the natives, legalized and encouraged polygamy – a practice that had almost been eradicated thanks to the moral teaching of the missionaries. Peter took to the streets, publicly denouncing the practice and calling out high ranking officials who were attempting to marry women who were already married. He was swiftly arrested, and while in prison the guards had him secretly killed to stop him from continuing to spread the Gospel and teachings of the Church. In October 2025, he became the first canonized saint from Papua New Guinea.