St. Pierre Chanel Day
Saint Pierre Chanel Day is a public holiday that’s observed annually on April 28th in the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands. This holiday commemorates the feast day of Pierre Louis Marie Chanel-a catholic missionary, priest, saint, and martyr.
Wallis and Futuna (Public holiday) Chanel would travel to the Canary Islands on January 9, 1837, to work as a missionary. He would then travel to Valparaiso, Chili, the Gambier Islands, and Tahiti. He would eventually arrive in Futuna in November of that year. He was quite successful in converting natives to Christianity, which threatened the authority of the King of Futuna at the time.
The king then sent his son-in-law to deal with him. The result was Chanel being murdered on April 28, 1841. In 1889, Chanel was declared a martyr and beatified. In 1954, he would be canonized by Pope Pius XII and recognized as the patron saint of Oceania.
A Quick Biography Of Saint Pierre-Chanel
Peter Chanel was born on July 12, 1803, in La Portiere, France. He was the fifth of eight children born to Claude-Francois Chanel and Marie-Anne Sibellas. Between the ages of 7 and 12 years old, he would work as a shepherd but his parents were eventually persuaded by the parish priest to allow him to attend a small school. In March of 1817, he would take his first communion.
On July 15, 1827, Chanel was ordained and spent some time as an assistant priest at Ambérieu-en-Bugey. At the age of 28, he would join the Society of Mary and he worked as a spiritual director at the seminary of Belley. It wouldn’t be until the 1830s that he would travel abroad to do missionary work. Once he did, however, he traveled to Chile, the Gambier Islands, Tahiti, Wallis, and Futuna.
Observing Saint Pierre Chanel Day
This holiday is a local holiday and in regions where it’s observed, businesses and schools are usually closed. This holiday is also observed through religious services in these areas. It’s also a day on which people can spend time with their friends and family members.
Wallis and Futuna (Public holiday) 
