Saint Christopher Magallanes was born in Totatiche, a small mountain town in western Mexico. He was executed by the anti-clerical Mexican government during the anti-Catholic persecutions of 1927 and became known as the Martyr of the Mexican Cristero War. At the time, the government sought to suppress the Church by killing priests, restricting public worship, and prohibiting religious education.
This persecution became known as the Cristero War, and the rugged region of Northern Jalisco still carries a strong historical memory of the martyrs, the Cristeros, and the defense of religious freedom.
Before his execution, he reportedly said: “I die innocent, and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren.”
Saint Christopher reminds us that practicing our faith may come at a cost. In many places around the world today, living openly as a Christian can still cost you your life. Atrocities continue against Christians in countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Pakistan, to name only a few.
Nigeria continues to be the world’s deadliest hotspot for violence against Christians. Out of 4,849 Christians worldwide reportedly killed for their faith during the reporting period, 3,490 were Nigerian — up from 3,100 the previous year (Vatican News). Vatican News also reports that approximately 388 million Christians worldwide face significant persecution.
Bishop Robert Barron’s newest book on Christian persecution and modern martyrs is “What Do Their Deaths Demand?”: Christian Persecution Today — a powerful reflection on the growing persecution of Christians and the courage of believers who continue to suffer and die for their faith around the world.
It is a stark reminder that: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”— Tertullian (Apologeticus)
