Saint of the day May 21, 2025

Christopher Magallanes was born in Mexico in 1869. He came from a poor family. His parents were farmers. He helped on the farm as a boy.
He did not go to school for many years. But he wanted to learn. He was smart and worked hard. He entered the seminary when he was older.

He became a priest in 1899. He worked in a small town in Jalisco. He preached, taught, and helped the poor. He also helped people grow in their faith. He started schools and helped build churches. He was a kind and faithful priest. People loved him. He gave his life to serve others.

In the early 1900s, the Church in Mexico faced hard times. The government passed laws against the Church. Priests could not wear their collars or preach in public. Churches were closed. This was during and after the Mexican Revolution. Some leaders saw the Church as a threat. They wanted full control and feared Catholic influence.

Many Catholics stayed loyal to the Church. They worshiped in secret. Some even took up arms in what was called the Cristero War. But not all Catholics supported violence. Christopher Magallanes believed in peace. He did not fight with weapons. He kept serving the people through prayer, Mass, and the sacraments. He helped others stay strong in their faith.

Father Magallanes kept preaching even when it became illegal. He celebrated Mass in secret. He also trained young men to become priests, even though it was forbidden. He opened a secret seminary in his parish. He knew the risk but wanted to make sure there would be priests in the future. The seminary had to move many times to stay safe.

He also helped the poor and visited families who were afraid. He gave them the sacraments. He kept hope alive in a dark time.
Many of his companions were priests doing the same thing. Others were laymen who helped them. They all knew they could be arrested or killed. But they kept going.

In 1927, Father Magallanes was arrested. The government said he was helping rebels. But he had not taken part in the fighting. He only preached and helped people pray. He was put in jail without a trial. He prayed while in prison. He forgave the people who accused him. He also wrote to his family, telling them to stay strong in faith.

He was shot by a firing squad on May 25, 1927. He died with prayers on his lips. Other priests and laypeople were killed in the same way.
Some were tortured. Some died young. But all of them stayed faithful. They died because they loved Jesus and would not deny him.

Saint Christopher Magallanes and his 24 companions were beatified in 1992. They were canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. The Church honors them as saints and martyrs.

Reflection

As we honor these twenty-five heroic martyrs, we are reminded that the Gospel is more important than life itself. It is better to die than to compromise the faith. Though few today face the threat of physical martyrdom, the secular world attacks the faith in many other ways, requiring us to stand as faithful witnesses to Christ. Ponder any ways that you give in to fear in the face of persecution, and pray that the martyrs we honor today will win for you the courage you need to remain faithful until the end.