Saint José Luis Sánchez del Rio

Saint José Luis Sánchez del Rio Biography

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe (2 Timothy 4:12).

Saint Luis Sanchez Del Rio was a young Mexican man who lived during a time of persecution against the Catholic Church in Mexico. Born on March 28, 1913 in Sahuayo, Michoacan, he grew up with a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and a desire to defend his faith. When the Cristero War began, a conflict in which the Mexican government sought to extinguish the influence of the Catholic Church, Sanchez Del Rio begged to be allowed to join the Cristeros, a movement fighting for the rights of Catholics. Despite being too young to join, he eventually became a flag-bearer for the group and was nicknamed Tarcisius, after the early Christian saint martyred for protecting the Eucharist.

On January 25, 1928, Sanchez Del Rio gave his horse to the general of the Cristeros so that the fight could continue, and was subsequently captured by government troops. He was imprisoned in the sacristy of the local church and ordered to renounce his faith, but he refused even under the threat of death. He was forced to watch the hanging of another Cristero, but instead of breaking his resolve, he encouraged the man, telling him they would meet again in Heaven.

During his time in captivity, Sanchez Del Rio prayed the rosary daily and wrote a letter to his mother, telling her he was ready to fulfill the will of God. Despite his father’s efforts to raise the funds for a ransom, Sanchez Del Rio was eventually subjected to a gruesome death by the government. On February 10, 1928, at the age of 14, he was cut with a machete and forced to walk through the town towards the cemetery, reciting the rosary, praying for his enemies, and singing songs to Our Lady of Guadalupe despite being in great pain. He refused to renounce his faith even when offered the chance to spare his life, shouting “I will never give in. Viva Cristo Rey y Santa Maria de Guadalupe!”

Sanchez Del Rio’s remains are now enshrined above a side altar in the Church of Saint James the Apostle in his hometown of Sahuayo. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on November 20, 2005 and was officially canonized on October 16, 2016 by Pope Francis. He is now the patron saint of persecuted Christians, children, adolescents, and Sahuayo. The feast day of St. Jose Luis Sanchez is on February 10.

Prayer to St. José Luis Sánchez del Rio

Dear Lord, 
Help me to be courageous and steadfast in my devotion to you. Help me to identify causes and injustices in my day that are worth defending and standing up for. Give me perseverance and a desire to help others at any cost. Help me to revere Christ as the king of my life. 
Saint José Sánchez del Rio, pray for us.
Amen.