The top photo shows the six priests who were martyred in Mexico in the 1920s and were canonized in 2000.
The N.J. State Council of the Knights of Columbus is hosting the opportunity for faithful of the Trenton Diocese to venerate relics of Catholics martyred for their faith during the 1920s persecution of Catholics by the Mexican government.
Mario Rojas, Grand Knight of Council 816 Mary, Queen of the Knights, explained the tour of the silver reliquary containing relics of the six priest-martyrs should attract clergy, lay faithful and local Knights of Columbus at the start of the order’s fraternal year. Veneration of the relics should “bring grace to the area,” he predicted.
According to the national Knights of Columbus website, the 1920s in Mexico was a period marked by severe anti-Catholic persecution and strict anti-clerical laws, leading to the closure of churches and the expulsion of clergy. The six clerics were canonized by then-Pope John Paul II on May 21, 2000, and their relics are housed in the Sanctuary of the Martyrs of Christ the King in Guadalajara, Mexico, the first site to permanently house relics of all the canonized and beatified Mexican martyrs.
Stops include the Church of St. Anthony Claret, Lakewood, 4 p.m. June 29 and 30; Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish, Long Branch, 6 p.m. July 1; St. Mark Church, Sea Girt, 6:30 p.m. July 3; Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Trenton, 7 p.m. July 9; St. Ann Church, Browns Mills, 5 p.m. July 14; the Oratory Church of St. Anthony of Padua, 6 p.m. July 15; Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, 7 p.m., July 16, and Jesus the Lord Church, Keyport, 6:30 p.m. July 22.
The content and length of events at each parish will vary, but should include veneration of the relics, Exposition, a Holy Hour, the celebration of Holy Mass, procession of the relics and a reception. Currently, events on July 1, 15 and 22 are slated to be bilingual in English and Spanish.
“We as a Church remember how important it is to fight for our values as Catholics,” Rojas said, noting the bravery and strong faith of those facing the enemy during the Cristero War a century ago. “When these martyrs were faced by a gun and told to choose God or deny their faith and live the Grand Knight said, “they responded, ‘Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe’ and were martyred.”
For further information, contact Mario Rojas at 732-685-4721.
