TORRES, COSME de. - Jesuit, missionary, b. at Valencia ca. 1510, d. at Shiki, on the island of Kami-Shima, in 1570.
A priest, he taught grammar at Valencia, Majorca, and Ulldecona; in 1538 he went to Mexico, where he joined the expedition of Rodrigo Lopez de Villalobos, following him to the Philippines and the Moluccas. In 1546 he was at Amboina, where he came into contact with St. Francis Xavier, who in 1548 admitted him into the Society of Jesus and in 1549 took him with him to Japan. After Xavier’s departure, T. remained at Yamaguchi to continue his work, as superior of the mission from 1552 to 1570. He was always the inspiration and example of the mission. He increased its Christians to 30,000, including many members of the ancient nobility, and built there the first church. Many of his letters survive, some still unpublished.