Feast of Blessed Miguel Pro
Miguel Pro, an American Martyr, lived January 13, 1891 – November 23, 1927. November 23 is the Feast Day of Blessed Miguel Pro. On that day we remember the way he gave his life for Christ proclaiming, “Viva Cristo Rey, Long Live Christ the King”. His Eminence Cardinal Burke selected him for one of the six side altars at the Guadalupe Shrine. The Shrine offers Mass for those enrolled in the Bl. Miguel Pro Mass Guild on the fourth Monday of every month.
Church Persecution
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.
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.
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.
Enroll in the Bl. Miguel Pro 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.
