Lenten campaign 2026
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Originally reported by OSV News, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ website lists October 31, 2026, as the day when the "Georgia Martyrs" will be beatified at a ceremony in the United States.
The Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, has yet to announce the exact details of the beatification ceremony.
Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of these five Franciscan martyrs on January 27, 2025, categorizing their martyrdom as in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith).
Who were the Georgia Martyrs?
The Dicastery of the Causes of Saints' website explains: "The Venerable Servants of God, Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz and Francisco de Veráscola, Spaniards of the Order of Friars Minor, in the 16th century agreed to be sent on a mission to North American territories driven by an authentic spirit of love for Christ and service to the Church."
They were sent on a "Mission to the Guales, an Indigenous tribe stationed on the coast of today's territory of the American state of Georgia."
Initially they were well received and were able to preach the Gospel to the Indigenous people.
However, everything changed when the sacrament of marriage was introduced.
It was customary for the missionaries to only administer the sacrament of baptism to those who would commit to a monogamous marriage, taking only one wife.
Generally this was accepted until a young man, who was to be chief, desired a second wife, as the Vatican website explains:
[T]he young Juanillo, nephew of the village chief and destined to succeed him, although baptized, was determined to take another wife. Pedro called him back, reminding him of his commitment to baptism, but he became aggressive and lashed out at him killing him with an ax stroke in September 1597.
Shortly thereafter the remaining Franciscan missionaries were killed because of their desire to uphold the dignity of marriage.
The beatification will occur during the special Jubilee Year that Pope Leo XIV has promulgated, which celebrates the 800th anniversary of St. Francis' death.
