The Saints: Blessed Miguel Pro Juarez

1891 - 1927 / Feast - Nov. 23

This Mexican martyr began life in a large Catholic family. His schooling, interrupted by family moves and a serious illness, ended when he was 15. Following a spiritual crisis and the vocation of a beloved sister, Miguel entered a Jesuit novitiate in 1911. But the anti-Catholicism that attended the Mexican Revolution forced him to study abroad. He was ordained in 1925 in Belgium, where his recurring illness required surgeries. In 1926 he returned to Mexico City and ministered secretly because of the political situation. Though he did not support an armed insurrection, he was arrested and executed by firing squad without a trial.