St. Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio

Patron Saint of Persecuted Christians, Children and Adolescents
St. Jose, littlest soldier of Christ, whose last bloody steps
brought you to the arms of our Lady and our Lord,
keep healthy and strong the steps of our Lord’s soldiers,
who remain here on earth, so that they may have
your strength to endure and persevere.
VIVA CRISTO REY! LONG LIVE CHRIST THE KING!

St. Jose was born in 1913 in Sahuayo, Michoacan, Mexico. Raised in a strong Catholic home, he grew up with a devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. When Jose was 12 years old, the Cristero Wars began. During this time, the Mexican government tried to extinguish the influence of the Catholic Church by seizing church property, closing religious schools and convents, and executing priests.
Peasants from many regions rebelled against the government. Jose desperately wanted to join the rebellion, but he was too young. Eventually, he was allowed to join as a flag bearer.

During a battle, Jose was captured and ordered to deny his faith and the Cristero cause. He refused and was tortured terribly. His tenacity so angered the government soldiers, they cut off the bottoms of his feet. As he was forced to walk through town to the cemetery, he recited the rosary, prayed for his enemies and sang songs to Our Lady of Guadalupe. “I will never give in! Viva Cristo Rey y
Virgen de Guadalupe!”. At the cemetery, Jose was stabbed with bayonets, then shot to death. He was one month shy of his 15 th birthday.

St. Jose was fearless and unwavering even as he was tortured. He put his faith above everything else. We celebrate his feast day on February 10. Let no one look down on youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself as an example of those who believe. (2 Timothy 4:12)