Divine Providence ordained that Father Miguel Pro carry on his ministry in Mexico during a time that was termed "the fiercest persecution of religion anywhere since the reign of Elizabeth I".
In the 1920s, the Communist Mexican government closed churches and killed the clergy and religious as well as anyone wanting to remain faithful to the Church. To attend to his flock, Father Pro had to carry on a "secret" ministry by adopting many interesting disguises while putting himself in mortal danger.
After some time, he was betrayed to the police and condemned to death on a false pretext. On November 23, 1927, Father Pro walked calmly from his cell to the courtyard where the firing squad stood waiting.
He knelt and prayed.
Then, looking straight into the eyes of his executioners and holding a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, he held out his arms in imitation of His Crucified Savior and shouted, "Viva Cristo Rey" -- "Long Live Christ the King".
After his martyrdom, his fellow Cristeros fought even more valiantly against the enemies of Holy Mother Church, many of them displaying the photo of Blessed Pro's martyrdom at their own execution.
Let us ask Our Lady for the spirit of Father Pro and the Cristeros. They left us a heroic legacy of fidelity to our Faith in a most difficult time of history!
"Viva Cristo Rey!"
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