St. Jose Sanchez del Rio
Patron Saint of Persecuted Christians
José Sánchez del Rio was born on March 28, 1913 in the Mexican state of Michoacan de Ocampo. José's devout faith was recognizable at a very young age; he attended mass whenever possible. The Critero War began in 1926, and José pleaded with his mother to allow him to join the army. His mother refused, so he performed menial tasks for the Cristero’s forces. During one battle, General Mendoza lost his horse, so José offered the general his own. However, in the process, José was captured. In prison, José was tortured and pressured by his captors to deny his faith. However, through continuous prayer, José never faltered. Out of frustration, the soldiers forced him to walk to the cemetery, where José was martyred on February 10, 1928, just shy of his 15th birthday. He is a patron saint of persecuted Christians and children.