Relics of Six Mexican Saints - Priests were Martyred by Mexican Government in 1920s and 30s

DENVER, May 4 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The relics of six Knights of Columbus priest martyrs of Mexico – canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 – will be in Denver this weekend as part of a nationwide pilgrimage sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Thousands have already turned out to venerate these same relics in California and Texas over the past two months.

The relics will be available for veneration at Denver’s Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception located at 1530 S. Logan St. in Denver beginning with a 5:30 p.m. Mass Friday, May 5 and ending with a 6:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday, May 7.

The six priests whose relics are coming to Denver -– Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero, Miguel de la Mora de la Mora, Jose Maria Robles Hurtado, Luis Batiz Sainz, Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán, and Mateo Correa Magallanes -– were martyred for their faith by the Mexican government during the religious persecution in Mexico in the 1920s and 1930s.

One of the priests – Father Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero – was ordained in the United States in 1918 before returning to Mexico, where he was killed for his faith in 1937.

"This pilgrimage seeks to promote knowledge of and devotion to the Knights of Columbus priest martyrs of Mexico and all those who sacrificed their lives for their faith during the Mexican persecution," explained Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, who attended the opening ceremonies for the U.S. portion of the pilgrimage in Dallas.

The pilgrimage of the relics began in Mexico City in September 2005, to mark the centennial of the Knights of Columbus in Mexico. From there, the reliquary traveled to cities throughout Mexico. After traveling to several major U.S. cities, the pilgrimage will conclude in Orlando at the Knights of Columbus' 124th Supreme Convention in August 2006. The U.S. portion of the pilgrimage began March 18 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas.

Relics have long been a part of Catholic devotional practice. Since the days of the Apostles, Christians have preserved and honored the physical remains of men and women recognized as saints. Previous relic pilgrimages have drawn large numbers of the faithful. In 2003, the Knights co-sponsored the journey of a relic of the Tilma of Tepeyac, the cloth that bears the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. That tour opened in Denver and drew more than 150,000 people nationwide – including 5,000 in Denver alone.

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest lay Catholic organization, with more than 1.7 million members in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Additional information is available at www.kofc.org/relics.

People often forget that Mexico is technically a Socialist state and subscribes, in theory, to atheism, and has a great hatred of the Church. This was even codified in its laws. For example, priests and religious were forbidden to wear clerical garb on the street - until only a few years ago, when the law was changed. While many of its anti-Church statutes were not rigorously enforced, they existed and influenced Catholic life in Mexico in a very negative way.

The "illegal immigrant movement" in the US is being stoked by the left - take a look at some of the groups organizing the demonstrations, such as Code Pink and ANSWER! - but there is already a socialist undercurrent to much of Mexican thought, and it is not surprising that they are becoming more overt about it now. This doesn't mean that the average Mexican laborer either knows or cares about this - he's just out there demonstrating because he's easy to stir up - but the leaders certainly do.

I'm not aware of any Catholic martyrs killed by the US government, either. Speaking of native Americans, though, you may be interested in Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

Kateri Tekakwitha was a young Mohawk woman who lived in the 17th century. The story of her conversion to Christianity, her courage in the face of suffering and her extraordinary holiness is an inspiration to all Christians. Follow us as we share with you the life of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who soon will become the first Native American Saint in the United States of America. Many private miracles have already centered around Blessed Kateri, known as the Lily of the Mohawks and the holy grounds at the National Shrine of Blessed Tekakwitha located in Fonda, New York. The Shrine was founded in honor of Kateri, for it was here that she was baptized on Easter Sunday April 5, 1676, and lived her teenage years. Kateri was born in 1656 of an Algonquin mother and a Mohawk Chief in the Mohawk fortified village of Canaouaga or Ossernenon (modern day Auriesville) in upstate New York. When she was only 4 years old her parents and brother died of smallpox. Kateri survived the disease, but it left her face badly scarred and her eyesight impaired. Because of her poor vision, Kateri was named "Tekakwitha", which means "she who bumps into things". Kateri was taken in by her uncle who was bitterly opposed to Christianity. When she was 8 years old, Kateri's foster family, in accordance with Iroquois custom, paired her with a young boy who they expected she would marry. However, Kateri wanted to dedicate her life to God. Her uncle distrusted the settlers because of the way they treated the Indians and who were responsible for introducing smallpox and other deadly diseases into the Indian community. When Kateri was ten, in 1666, a war party composed of French soldiers and hostle Indians from Canada destroyed the Mohawk strongholds on the south bank of the Mohawk, including Ossernenon. The surviving Mohawks moved to the north side of the river and built their fortified village about half a mile west of the present village of Fonda. Kateri lived in Caughnawaga, site of the present Shrine, for her next ten years. When Kateri was 18 years of age, she began instructions in the Catholic Faith in secret. Her uncle finally relented and gave his consent for Kateri to become a Christian, provided that she did not try to leave the Indian village. For joining the Catholic Church, Kateri was ridiculed and scorned by villagers. She was subjected to unfair accusations and her life was threatened. Nearly two years after her baptism at the Kateri Shrine in Fonda she escaped to the Mission of St. Francis Xavier, a settlement of Christian Indians in Canada. The village in Canada was also named Caughnawaga (Kahnawake). Here she was known for her gentleness, kindness, and good humor. On Christmas Day 1677 Kateri made her first holy communion and on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1679 made a vow of perpetual virginity. She also offered herself to the Blessed Mother Mary to accept her as a daughter. During her time in Canada, Kateri taught prayers to children and worked with the elderly and sick. She would often go to Mass both at dawn and sunset. She was known for her great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Cross of Christ. During the last years of her life, Kateri endured great suffering from a serious illness. She died on April 17th, 1680, shortly before her 24th birthday, and was buried in Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada. Witnesses reported that within a few minutes of her death, the pock marks from smallpox completely vanished and her face shone with raqdiant loveliness. Before her death, Kateri promised her friends that she would continue to love and pray for them in heaven. Both Native Americans and settlers immediately began praying for her heavenly intercession. Several people, including a priest who attended Kateri during her last illness, reported that Kateri had appeared to them and many healing miracles were attributed to her. Fifty years after Kateri's death the first convent for Indian nuns was established in Mexico and they pray daily for Sainthood for Blessed Kateri.

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