The relics of 36 Mexican saints who were martyred in the Cristero War will be hosted in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on April 18.
The one-day congress at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels culminates a year-long initiative of regional congresses celebrating the centennial of these Mexican martyrs, according to the archdiocese’s website.
“All are invited to take part in the Congress to reflect on the persecution of Catholics during the Cristero War in Mexico and the impact of these events on our Church today,” the website states. “Participants will be able to venerate the relics of the 36 Mexican Martyrs, including St. Toribio Romo and St. José Sánchez del Río.”
The free day-long event includes talks in English and Spanish, lunch, opportunities to venerate the relics, and Holy Mass.
The website explained the link between the archdiocese and the Cristero War, which was the response of faithful Catholic Mexicans to the secularist, anticlerical regime instituted in Mexico in 1917.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles supported and sheltered thousands of Catholics fleeing persecution, and in 1941, the Archdiocese of Mexico City gifted it a relic of the tilma of St. Juan Diego as a symbol of gratitude and fraternity.
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