Knights of Columbus Mexican Martyrs Relics
Coming To Our Lady of Lourdes
Monday, May 5th, 2025 4–9 PM
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Parish and Council 16375 are privileged to host the venerated Relics of the Mexican Martyrs on Monday, May 5th, 2025. This is a momentous occasion for prayer, reflection, and community.
**Event Schedule:**
* 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rosary
* 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Veneration of the Relics
* 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Holy Hour
* 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Bilingual Mass
* 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Reception
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Parish
5605 Bernal Dr, Dallas, TX
Contact:
Grand Knight Fabio Peña (469) 877-9555
About The Martyrs
The Knights of Columbus Mexican Martyrs were nine members of the Knights of Columbus, who were martyred during the Cristero War (1926–1929) in Mexico, a period of intense anti-Catholic persecution under President Plutarco Elías Calles. Six of these martyrs, all priests, were canonized as saints by Pope John Paul II on May 21, 2000, and three others, laymen, were beatified in 2005. Their feast day is celebrated on May 21.
Background
The Cristero War erupted due to the Mexican government’s enforcement of anti-clerical laws, including the 1917 Constitution, which restricted the Catholic Church’s rights, banned religious education, and expelled clergy. Calles’ aggressive policies, such as closing churches and outlawing public worship, led to widespread persecution of Catholics. The Knights of Columbus, established in Mexico in 1905, became a symbol of Catholic resistance, organizing schools, supporting the League for the Defense of Religious Liberty, and aiding refugees. This made them targets of government retaliation, with the organization outlawed and members arrested or executed.
The Canonized Martyrs (Saints)
The six priest-martyrs, all Knights, were executed for continuing their ministry despite the ban on Catholic practices. They are:
- St. José María Robles Hurtado (1888–1927): A parish priest in Tecolotlán, Jalisco, and member of Council 1979. Arrested on June 25, 1927, he was hanged from an oak tree the next day, blessing his executioners. The Sanctuary of the Martyrs in Guadalajara uses wood from this tree in its furnishings.
- St. Mateo Correa Magallanes (1866–1927): A priest in Zacatecas, member of Council 2140. Arrested in 1927, he was ordered to reveal confessions of Cristero rebels. Refusing to break the seal of confession, he was shot on February 6, 1927.
- St. Luis Batis Sáinz (1870–1926): A priest in Zacatecas, member of an unspecified council. Captured in 1926, he was shot on August 15 alongside layman Manuel Morales, despite pleading for Morales’ life.
- St. Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán (1875–1927): A priest in Unión de Tula, Jalisco, member of Council 2330. Hanged in 1927 after being captured when 600 soldiers surrounded his town, he died proclaiming his faith in Christ and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- St. Miguel de la Mora de la Mora (1878–1927): Chaplain of Colima Cathedral, member of Council 2140. Betrayed and captured, he was shot while praying the rosary in front of his brother.
- St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero (1892–1937): A priest in Chihuahua, member of Council 2419. Beaten and shot on Ash Wednesday 1937, years after the war’s official end, he died from a skull fracture. His headstone reads, “You are a priest.”
The Beatified Martyrs (Blessed)
Three lay Knights were among 13 beatified in Guadalajara on November 20, 2005, for their martyrdom in 1927:
- Blessed Jorge Vargas González: Executed by firing squad in Guadalajara on April 1, 1927, alongside his brother Ramón and Luis Padilla Gómez.
- Blessed Ramón Vargas González: Killed with Jorge and Luis, he was targeted for his Catholic activism.
- Blessed Luis Padilla Gómez: A layman executed with the Vargas brothers, recognized for his steadfast faith.
Legacy and Veneration
The Knights of Columbus played a significant role during the Cristero War, raising over $1 million in the U.S. to support Mexican refugees and exiled seminarians, distributing propaganda, and lobbying the U.S. government to intervene. Pope Pius XI praised their efforts in his 1926 encyclical Iniquis Afflictisque. The Sanctuary of the Martyrs of Christ the King in Guadalajara, begun in 2007, houses relics of all canonized and beatified Mexican martyrs, including the nine Knights, and is a major pilgrimage site.
Relics of the six canonized priests are venerated in parishes across Mexico and the U.S. Their stories are depicted in media, including the 2012 film For Greater Glory, which highlights the Cristero War and the martyrdom of one Knight. The martyrs’ cry of “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long live Christ the King!”) remains a powerful symbol of their faith and sacrifice.
Read the Columbia Magazine article about the Martyrs published November 2007:
ENGLISH || ESPAÑOL
For more details, visit the Knights of Columbus website:
https://www.kofc.org/en/news-room/mexican-martyrs/index.html