St. Cristobal Magallanes Jara

  Posted on May 25, 2020  by admin  No comments

Born: 30 July 1869 in La Sementera, Totatiche, Jalisco, Mexico 

Died: shot on 25 May 1927 at Colotlán, Jalisco, Mexico 

Beatified: November 22, 1992 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized: 21 May 2000 by Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee of Mexico 

Feast: 25 May

Born to a farm family, and worked as a shepherd in his youth. He entered the seminary at 19, and served as parish priest at Totatiche, Mexico. Helped found schools, a newspaper, catechism centers for children and adults, carpentry shops, and an electric plant to power the mills. Worked with the indigenous people to form agrarian cooperatives with the town’s people. Noted for his devotion to Our Lady. 

When the anti-Church government closed all seminaries, Father Cristobal gathered displaced seminarians, and started his own seminary; it was quickly suppressed. He formed another, and another, and when they were all closed, the seminarians conducted classes in private homes. 

He wrote and preached against armed rebellion, but was falsley accused of promoting the Cristero guerilla revolt. Arrested on 21 May 1927 while en route to celebrate Mass at a farm. In prison he gave away his few remaining possessions to his executioners, gave them absolution, and without a trial, he was martyred with Saint Agustin Caloca.