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Next weekend there will be a second collection basket at each Mass for the benefit of the Pakistan Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. Our annual participation in this charitable work is coordinated by the Catholic Missions Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago which assigns the foreign mission dioceses, religious communities, and special apostolates seeking the aid of the American Church. The management of our own Missions Office enables all Catholics in Chicago to participate in the work of the Church throughout the world; and it prevents the high-profile places like Holy Name from being unfairly inundated with requests for help. Next weekend Bishop Anthony Lobo of Islamabad-Rawalpindi will speak at homily time at all Cathedral Masses (except at 12:30pm with the special liturgy in tribute to the Mexican Martyrs – see below). Please read the bishop’s letter on page 6 of this bulletin. He describes the desperate needs of God’s children in his part of the Lord’s vineyard. Be generous in your support of the Missions, particularly our chance to make a real difference in Pakistan. _____________________________ One of the results of a political revolution in Mexico in the 1920s was the persecution of the Catholic Church. The new Mexican government sought to establish a “Mexican Church” with bishops appointed by a government which ignored unity with the Pope in Rome. Pope Pius XI and the Mexican hierarchy attempted to defend the faith. However, the result was a persecution from 1926 until 1937. Bishops, priests, religious, and laity were arrested; Catholic worship was forbidden; Churches, schools, and other institutions were closed. Nearly 40,000 Mexican Catholics were martyred. The most famous was a priest, Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro, who, as the firing squad pulled their triggers, proclaimed to the world, “Long live Christ the King!” His dying acclamation became the rallying cry of the persecuted Church. Many Americans became familiar with the plight of the Mexican Church with the 1940 publication of novelist Graham Greene’s masterpiece, The Power and the Glory. Other notable martyrs of that era included six priests, each a Knight of Columbus. In the United States, the Knights of Columbus are promoting awareness of the priests’ example of courage by taking their relics on a pilgrimage across the USA. Those relics will arrive at Holy Name Cathedral next Sunday, July 23, at about 8:00am. They will remain here for veneration all morning. Francis Cardinal George will offer the 12:30pm Mass in the presence of the holy relics before they are carried to another Church. You are invited to participate in prayers that will unite our souls with these great men who set the standard for unwavering faith. The six martyrs include the following: Father Miguel de la Mora de la Mora of Colima publicly signed a letter opposing the anti-religious laws imposed by the government. Quickly, he was arrested and, with his brother Regino looking on, was executed without a trial by a single shot from a military officer as the priest prayed his rosary on August 7, 1927. Father Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero studied for the priesthood in El Paso, Texas, because of the uneasy political situation in Mexico. After his 1918 ordination, he returned home despite the tremendous risk. Captured on Ash Wednesday, 1937, while distributing ashes to the faithful, Father Maldonado Lucero was so savagely beaten that one eye was forced from its socket. He died the next day at a local hospital. His tombstone aptly described this martyr in four eloquent words: "You are a priest." Ordained in 1913, Father Jose Maria Robles Hurtado founded the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Guadalajara when he was only 25. On June 25, 1927, he was arrested while preparing to celebrate Mass. Early the next morning, he was hanged from an oak tree, but not before he had forgiven his murderers and offered a prayer for his parish. He went so far as to place the rope around his own neck so that none of his captors would hold the title of murderer. After a warrant was issued for is arrest, Father Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán of Union de Tula in Jalisco took refuge at the Colegio de San Ignacio in Ejutla, celebrating Mass and administering the sacraments. Rather than escape when soldiers arrived, Father Aguilar Alemán remained at the seminary to burn the list of seminarians and to protect them from being known. When the soldiers demanded his identity, he told them only that he was a priest. He was taken to the main square where the seminary was located. He publicly forgave his killers before a soldier gave him the chance to save himself by giving the "right" answer to this question, "Who lives?" The priest would be spared if he simply said, "Long live the supreme government." However, he replied, "Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe." The noose that had been secured to a mango tree was tightened, then relaxed twice. Each time it was relaxed, he was asked the same question and each time he gave the same response. The third time the noose was tightened, he died. On Aug. 15, 1926, at Chalchihuites, Zacatecas, Father Luis Batiz Sainz and three laymen - David Roldan (only 19 at the time), Salvador Lara, and Manuel Morales - faced a firing squad for refusing to submit to anti-religious laws. When Father Batiz Sainz asked the soldiers to free Manuel Morales who had sons and daughters, Morales wouldn't hear of it. "I am dying for God," he declared, "and God will care for my children." Smiling, Father Batiz Sainz gave his friend absolution and said: "See you in heaven." Father Mateo Correa Magallanes was arrested and taken to Durango. While in prison, he was ordered by the commanding officer on Feb. 5, 1927, to hear the confessions of his fellow prisoners. Then the commander demanded to know what they had told him. Of course, Father Correa Magallanes would not violate the seal of confession; and so, the next day, he was taken to a local cemetery and executed by the soldiers. These men and nineteen other Mexicans were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. May our Church in Chicago, our Holy Name Cathedral parish, and all blessed by these relics be strengthened through the intercession of the Mexican martyrs in the firm resolve of our faith. May Christ be our King. We thank the Knights of Columbus for including Holy Name Cathedral on their holy pilgrimage.
Fr. Dan Mayall |
