Killed almost 430 years ago, 5 Catholic friars will soon be one step from sainthood
The Vatican recognized the friars as martyrs after decades of research, and Savannah expects 10,000 people for the special Mass.
- The Catholic Diocese of Savannah expects 10,000 people on Saturday for the beatification ceremony of five Franciscan friars slain in 1597, with the special Mass held at the city's convention center.
- Violence erupted in 1597 after Friar Pedro de Corpa admonished a Guale chieftain's nephew for planning a polygamous marriage, prompting warriors to attack missions and kill de Corpa, Blas Rodriguez, and Miguel de Anon.
- Following decades of research and bureaucratic review, the Vatican concluded last year the missionaries were martyred defending Christian values, and Pope Francis signed the official decree in January 2025.
- RaeLynn Butler, secretary of culture and humanities for the Muscogee Nation, emphasized that the 1597 events occurred during a complex period when Indigenous peoples struggled to preserve their sovereignty and traditions.
- Future sainthood would require evidence of a miracle, though Bishop Stephen Parkes, who leads the Savannah diocese, said the friars' sacrifice offers an opportunity to reflect on personal faith and commitment.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Five Spanish Franciscans, known as the Georgia Martyrs, will be beatified tomorrow, Saturday, October 31, in Savannah, Georgia. This will be the first beatification in Georgia and also the first in the American South. The Franciscans Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz and Francisco de Veráscola worked among the Guale indigenous people on the coast of what is now Georgia. They were killed in September 1597 for defe…
Associated Press News
Killed almost 430 years ago, 5 Catholic friars will soon be one step from sainthood
Five Spanish missionaries are being elevated one step away from sainthood nearly 430 years after they were killed in present-day Georgia.
This Saturday, October 31, the Church beatifies Fray Antonio de Badajoz along with Pedro de Corpa and three other companions, known as the Martyrs of Georgia. It is a group of Spanish Franciscan missionaries who were killed in September 1597 on the coast of present-day Georgia, in the United States. The beatification Mass will take place at 4 p.m. (Spanish peninsular time) at the Savannah Convention Center and will be presided over by Cardinal F…
Fray Antonio de Badajoz, a native of the town of La Albuera, will be beatified this Saturday in Savannah, United States, along with Pedro de Corpa and three other companions, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón and Francisco de Vescola, known as the Martyrs of Georgia, Spanish Franciscan missionaries killed in September 1597 on the coast of present-day Georgia. Fray Antonio de Badajoz was the only lay brother of the group, while the other f…
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