Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio

Today, I'll tell you a story that seems like it came out of legend, but it truly happened. It's the story of a 14-year-old boy whose courage defied an entire government. His name was José Sánchez del Río, and his martyrdom was as cruel as it was unique.

But who was this boy who cried out, Viva Cristo Rey, until his last breath? Let's discover his story together. We're in Mexico in the 1920s. The country is torn apart by the Cristero War, an armed rebellion against an anti-clerical government that had banned public worship and imposed harsh laws against the Catholic Church.

In this atmosphere of violence and oppression, many faithful, nicknamed the Cristeros, rose up in rebellion, shouting, Viva Cristo Rey, a battle cry that became the symbol of Catholic resistance. And it's in this context that our protagonist, José Sánchez del Río, appears.

Imagine a 13-year-old boy. Raised in a deeply devout family, witnessing the brutal persecution of priests and the destruction of churches, José, like many boys his age, could have chosen to hide and wait for better times, but no, he wanted to fight. He wanted to join the Cristeros, even though everyone told him he was too young, too inexperienced.

It's said that José, determined to convince his mother and the Cristeros general to let him join the army, declared, Never has it been so easy to earn heaven as it is today. He was only 13 years old, yet he already saw his struggle as a calling, a mission to defend his faith.

The general eventually relented, and José became the standard-bearer of the Cristero army. He didn't carry a weapon, but his courage was undeniable. It was this bravery that would ultimately lead to his tragic fate. The year is 1928. The war rages on, and José is on the front lines. One day, during a fierce battle, the general's horse is shot and killed. Without hesitation, José volunteers to give his own horse to the general, allowing him to escape while José is captured by federal forces.

José is imprisoned in his own village, in the parish church, which had been desecrated and turned into a chicken coop by the federal soldiers. Yet, José doesn't lose hope. On his first night in captivity, he writes a letter to his mother.

It's a heart-wrenching letter, and these are his words. My dear mother, I was taken prisoner in battle today. I think about the moment when I will die, but it doesn't matter, mama. You must submit to God's will. I die happy because I'm dying beside our Lord.

Do not worry about my death. Be strong, and send me your blessing, along with Papa's. Greet everyone for the last time for me, and accept the heart of your son, who loves you both, and would have liked to see you before dying.

February 10th, 1928. This is the day of Jose's martyrdom. He is taken from the prison. But he's not executed immediately. Instead, he's brutally tortured. The soldiers cut the soles of his feet and forced him to walk barefoot through the streets of the village, all the way to the cemetery.

A witness recounts that during this agonizing journey, as blood trailed from his feet, José continued to cry out, Viva Cristo Rey! The physical pain seemed not to touch him. His tormentors, enraged, offered him freedom in exchange for renouncing his faith, but José refused every time, shouting even louder.

At the cemetery, José is stabbed multiple times with bayonets, but he still doesn't die. Each wound is met with his unwavering cry, Viva Cristo Rey. Finally, exasperated by his resistance, a soldier shoots him in the head. Jose falls to the ground, but his cry of faith still echoes.

Jose Sanchez del Rio died at the age of 14, but his courage made him a giant of faith. He wasn't a soldier. He wasn't a military leader. He was simply a boy who understood the profound truth. There is no greater love than to give one's life. For what one believes in.

In 2016, Pope Francis declared him a saint, officially recognizing his martyrdom. His example reminds us that faith can be stronger than any fear, stronger even than death itself. And so, while many have forgotten the Cristero War, no one will ever forget the cry of a 14-year-old boy. Viva! Chris Dore.