Blessed Miguel Pro, American Martyr
Many Americans are unaware of a series of violent religious conflicts that occurred in the 1920s in Mexico. It is easy to picture persecution of the catholic faith as an ‘old world’ or ‘ancient’ occurrence–the image in our heads is usually lions in the amphitheatre–and the United States was still recovering after the Great War. Anticlerical reforms had gradually put catholics, clergy and religious especially, in an adverse position toward the government, and slowly the Church was crowded out of public life. Gradually, churches were shut and religious communities dissolved. Clergy were prevented from wearing religious dress, barred from voting, and not allowed to speak publicly.
Legal Restrictions on Practicing the Catholic Faith
During this time, regular practice of the Catholic faith became a criminal offence, and increasingly corrupt investigations and bribery of informants made secrecy a necessary part of sacramental life. Miguel Agustín Pro, a pious young man with a sense of humour, had entered the Society of Jesus. He was forced to flee the country in 1914 to continue his priesthood studies, but his desire to return to Mexico never left him.
Ordination of Father Miguel Pro
After spending time in California where he learned quick command of the English language, he spent several years at the Jesuit house in Granada, and began teaching in Nicaragua in 1919. Pro returned to Europe to finish his theological training in Belgium, and here was ordained priest. Tears of joy ran down his face as he pronounced the words of Consecration for the first time. He wrote to his family in Mexico:
‘I went straight back to my room and spread out all the photographs of my family, I blessed them with my whole soul. Then I went out to the garden to give my blessing to members of the community. I started out very strong, but after the third pass I began to sob. A well-meaning man, fourth in line, asked me if my mother had come for the ordination, God forgive him!’’
Soon after his ordination, Father Pro became very sick and had to undergo several excruciating operations for stomach ulcers. He endured his pain with love and found strength in prayer. The prognosis was bleak, no medical cure was possible, and the doctor’s advice was echoed by Pro’s religious superior: ‘return to your homeland to die.’
Returning to Mexico
By this time every religious act had been legally prohibited in Mexico, but Pro’s return was an answered prayer. He dressed in lay clothes and went about hearing thousands of confessions, distributing Holy Communion, officiating weddings, and providing comfort to the oppressed and downtrodden people in Mexico. On one occasion he distributed Holy Communion to fifteen-hundred souls in one day. His orders were to avoid anything political, and to focus on ministry. He wrote: ‘My disguise as a student affords me much liberty, I buzz about on my bicycle day and night and do much good.’
Imprisoned
Confusion over the failed assassination attempt of General Álvaro Obregón landed Pro in prison, his brother used to own the car that was used. The connection was merely incidental, but it gave authorities the pretense they needed. While incarcerated, Pro calmly answered his interrogators, giving his personal information and showing that he had no connection to the conspiracy. Nevertheless, Pro was to be an example to catholics all around Mexico.
“Viva Cristo Rey, Long Live Christ the King”
Father Pro was executed without a trial by firing squad on 23 November 1927. Newspaper photographers were invited to extensively document the event, and to make it a warning. His last words, ‘Viva Cristo Rey, Long Live Christ the King!’ rang out all over Mexico. Normal people, even those who had taken no definite stance on the persecutions, saw Father Pro in their newspapers standing resolute, his arms outstretched in the form of a cross, and support for the catholic cause grew overnight. Forty-thousand thronged the streets for the funeral procession, twenty-thousand more crowded the cemetery. No priest was allowed at the gravesite, but Pro’s own father said the commendation. Pro’s cause cried out to heaven and was given a swift answer. The government struggled to quell support for Mexico’s catholic faith, and gradually anticlerical laws were repealed.
Blessed Miguel Beatification
Miguel Pro was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988, a martyr for the Catholic Faith. A relic of Bl Miguel was placed in the main altar of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at its dedication in 2008, a tangible tie to the martyrs of the early Church, and the witness of the martyrs of America who kept the Faith as our inheritance. The front of the altar bears a crown, symbolising the Kingship of Christ for which Pro gave his life, and the palm branches evoke martyrdom and the triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Mass Guild Enrollment
Bl. Miguel Pro Relics at the Guadalupe Shrine
The Shrine also has an altar and guild dedicated to Bl Miguel Pro, the altarpiece, painted by _, shows the Blessed with arms outstretched at his martyrdom, and celebrating the Mass in heavenly glory. Underneath the altar is an additional bone relic which can be viewed and venerated by pilgrims who visit the Shrine. Blessed Miguel Pro’s witness is a striking one, he died less than a century ago on the same continent. By asking his intercession and imitating his heroic witness, we can also live lives in the joyful service of Christ the King.
The Shrine is blessed to work with Sacra: Relics of the Saints
Blessed Miguel Pro Mass Guild
The Shrine honors Blessed Miguel Pro (1891–1927) as an intercessor for priests.
About Blessed Miguel
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe has established the Mass Guild of Blessed Miguel Pro as a special way to pray for Blessed Miguel Pro’s intercession for priests, religious, and victims of persecution. Father Miguel Pro was a courageous witness to the faith in the face of persecution, who followed Christ even unto martyrdom. He is an inspiration for all who seek to live their lives fully for Christ and His Church.
All those enrolled in the guild will be remembered at the Holy Mass at 12:15 p.m. CT, on the fourth Monday of each month, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. If you would like to enroll a priest, religious, or victim of persecution in the Blessed Miguel Pro Mass Guild, you may do so by completing the form below. You are invited to join us at the Shrine for the guild Mass. The Sacrament of Penance will be available beginning 30 minutes before Mass.
Blessed Miguel Pro, pray for us!
May God bless you, and may Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for you.
Learn more about the Blessed Miguel Pro painting at the Shrine
A card can be sent to you upon request so that you may send it to the enrollee.
