Today the
Church celebrates the feast of Blessed Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest martyred in 1927, during a time of intense religious persecution in Mexico.
Dubbed the “undercover priest,” he was ultimately arrested and executed for
administering the Sacraments.
Videos and
photos of his execution are very moving. Catholic News Agency provides a telling account:
As
Fr. Pro walked from his cell to the prison courtyard, he blessed the firing
squad and then knelt and prayed silently for a few moments. Refusing a
blindfold, he stood, faced the firing squad, and with a crucifix in one hand
and a rosary in the other, he held his arms outstretched in the form of a cross
and in a loud, clear voice cried out, "May God have mercy on you! May God
bless you! Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent! With all my heart I forgive
my enemies!" As the soldiers lifted their rifles, he exclaimed in a loud
voice, "Viva Cristo Rey!" - "Long live Christ the King!"
Miguel Pro,
who was beatified by Blessed John Paul II in 1988, stood for the Church until
the day he died, and his whole life was a lesson in love and truth.
Blessed
Miguel Pro, pray for us today, that we may stand with the Lord in the face of
our daily trials and in the bigger ones to come.
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