St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions: The Cristero Martyrs of Mexico, St. Toribio Romo, Feast Day (May 21)

St. Christopher Magallanes (1869–1927) was a Mexican parish priest who, during the government persecution of the Catholic Church in the 1920s, kept celebrating the sacraments in secret, was arrested on his way to say Mass, and was shot without trial, forgiving his executioners. With twenty-four companions, twenty-one priests and three laymen martyred in the same persecution, among them St. Toribio Romo, now beloved as a patron of migrants, he was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000. Their feast day is May 21. Below are their story, Scripture and prayers to the Mexican martyrs.

A short prayer to St. Christopher Magallanes and companions, written for this page:

The persecution of the Church in Mexico

In 1926 President Plutarco Elías Calles began strictly enforcing the anticlerical articles of the Mexican Constitution of 1917: foreign priests were expelled, Catholic schools and convents closed, priests had to register with the state, and public worship was effectively banned. The bishops suspended public Masses in protest. In several states Catholics rose in armed rebellion, the Cristero War (1926–1929), named for their cry, “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”, “Long live Christ the King!” Many priests and lay people who took no part in the fighting were arrested and executed simply for exercising their ministry or practicing their faith.

St. Christopher Magallanes

Cristóbal Magallanes Jara was born on July 30, 1869, at Totatiche, in Jalisco, to a farming family, and worked as a shepherd before entering the seminary of Guadalajara. Ordained in 1899, he became pastor of his hometown, where he founded schools, workshops, a small seminary and missions among the indigenous Huichol people. During the persecution he opposed armed rebellion, but he continued to minister secretly. On May 21, 1927, he was arrested on his way to celebrate Mass at a ranch, and four days later, on May 25, he was shot at Colotlán with his assistant priest, St. Agustín Caloca. Before he died he gave his few belongings to the soldiers, absolved them, and declared that he died innocent and prayed that his blood would serve the peace of Mexico.

St. Toribio Romo, patron of migrants

St. Toribio Romo González (1900–1928), a young priest of Jalisco, was shot in his bed by soldiers on February 25, 1928. Since the 1970s, many Mexican migrants crossing the desert to the United States have reported being helped by a kind young man who later turned out to be St. Toribio, and he has become a beloved patron of migrants; his shrine at Santa Ana de Guadalupe, Jalisco, is visited by thousands.

Scripture

The Beatitude of the persecuted (Matthew 5:10–12, Douay-Rheims):

Other martyrs of the persecution

• St. José Sánchez del Río (1913–1928), a fourteen-year-old who joined the Cristeros, refused to renounce his faith under torture and was killed shouting “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”; canonized in 2016.
• Blessed Miguel Pro, the Jesuit priest executed in Mexico City in 1927 with his arms outstretched like a cross. See Blessed Miguel Pro.

Feast day

The optional memorial of Sts. Christopher Magallanes, priest, and Companions, martyrs, is May 21, the day of his arrest.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the Cristero martyrs?

Mexican priests and lay Catholics killed during the persecution of the Church in the 1920s; twenty-five were canonized in 2000 under the name of St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions.

Who is St. Toribio Romo?

A young Mexican priest martyred in 1928, now venerated as a patron of migrants.

What does “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” mean?

“Long live Christ the King!”, the cry of the Mexican martyrs.

More

• Blessed Miguel Pro
• Christ the King Sunday
• Our Lady of Guadalupe
• St. Juan Diego prayer
• St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (patron of immigrants)
• Saint of the day

Texts and sources

• Matthew 5:10–12 (Douay-Rheims).