He took his vows when he was 22 and as a traditionalist had much success preaching the gospel.
As the persecution against the Christians became greater under Hideyoshi Toyotomi, six foreign fathers and 25 Japanese were rounded up and marched to Nagasaki to be killed. St paul Miki was one of them. Despite hardship, he continued to preach the gospel as he was marched to his death.
St. Paul Miki was crucified in Nagasaki at the age of 33. As he was dying on the cross, he forgave his persecutors. He was honored to die as his savior had.
St.Paul Miki’s shroud was taken to Manila.
It was later brought back to Nagasaki by a Fr.Puchijan. It is now being kept with the shrouds of other martyrs at the Congregation of the Sacred Infant Jesus in Takarazuka city in Hyogo Prefecture.
In 1862, St. Paul Miki was canonized by Pope Pius the 9th. As his father was in the service of Nagayoshi Miyoshi, who had deep ties to Tokushima, St. Paul Miki was chosen to be the patron saint of this parish.