When we hear of Saints we think of adults but there have also been Catholic youth who have been canonized. St Maria Goretti and St Dominic Savio are some of the best examples. However there is a young Mexican martyr who is on the way of becoming a Saint his name is Jose Sanchez del Rio. Here is his story.
Sanchez del Rio was born on March 28, 1913, and died on February 10, 1928.
His martyrdom was witnessed by two boyhood friends. One of them, Father Marcial Maciel, who went on to found the Legionnaires of Christ, revealed in his book, My Life is Christ, that Sanchez del Rio was “captured by government forces,” who demanded he “renounce his faith in Christ, under threat of death. Jose refused to accept apostasy.”
“Consequently they cut the bottom of his feet and obliged him to walk around the town toward the cemetery,” Father Macial wrote. “He cried and moaned with pain, but he did not give in. At times they stopped him and said, ‘if you shout ‘Death to Christ the King’ we will spare your life.’ Jose Luis finally died shouting ‘Long live Christ the King’ while his assassins fired upon him.”
His martyrdom was witnessed by two boyhood friends. One of them, Father Marcial Maciel, who went on to found the Legionnaires of Christ, revealed in his book, My Life is Christ, that Sanchez del Rio was “captured by government forces,” who demanded he “renounce his faith in Christ, under threat of death. Jose refused to accept apostasy.”
“Consequently they cut the bottom of his feet and obliged him to walk around the town toward the cemetery,” Father Macial wrote. “He cried and moaned with pain, but he did not give in. At times they stopped him and said, ‘if you shout ‘Death to Christ the King’ we will spare your life.’ Jose Luis finally died shouting ‘Long live Christ the King’ while his assassins fired upon him.”
Praise God! Another great saint and martyr!
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