Blessed Miguel Pro

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Blessed Miguel Pro
Feast Day	November 23
Liturgical Class
Patronage	Mexico; martyrs; persecuted Christians; Jesuit martyrs; clandestine priests
Birthplace	Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico
Death Place	Mexico City, Mexico
Cause of Death	Martyrdom by firing squad
Primary Shrine	Church of the Holy Family, Mexico City, Mexico

Blessed Miguel Pro (full name: José Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez; January 13, 1891 – November 23, 1927) was a Mexican Jesuit priest martyred during the Cristero War for his clandestine ministry under anti-Catholic persecution. According to verified Church records and eyewitness accounts, born in Guadalupe, Zacatecas, to a mining engineer father and devout mother, Miguel entered the Jesuits in 1911 amid revolutionary turmoil, studying in Spain, Belgium, and the U.S. due to Mexico's 1914 Jesuit expulsion. Ordained in Belgium (1926), he returned secretly to Mexico City, disguising himself as a farmer, businessman, or beggar to celebrate Mass, baptize, and console the faithful under President Plutarco Elías Calles's 1926 Calles Law banning public worship.

Arrested on trumped-up bomb charges in November 1927, Miguel was executed by firing squad on November 23 without trial, his last words "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" ("Long live Christ the King!") captured in photographs. Beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988, after recognition of a miracle involving the healing of a terminally ill girl, Miguel awaits canonization pending a second miracle. His feast day, November 23, celebrates his joyful martyrdom in the Roman Rite, with veneration emphasizing disguise creativity and humor amid suffering. While primary sources like trial transcripts confirm his execution as political, hagiographic traditions highlight premonitory visions, which cannot be verified historically.

Biography

Birth

Blessed Miguel Pro was born José Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez on January 13, 1891, in Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico, the eldest of eight children to Miguel Pro, a mining engineer, and Joséfa Juárez de Pro, a pious homemaker. Baptized shortly after in the local parish, he grew up in a devout Catholic family amid Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship. Hagiographic tradition holds early piety, including childhood Masses, though this originates from family testimonies rather than records.

Probabilistic inferences from Zacatecas's rural mining context suggest exposure to faith through family and local devotions.

Early Life

Miguel attended local schools in Guadalupe, showing artistic talent and humor, before discerning a vocation at 16. Entering the Society of Jesus in 1911 at Aguascalientes, he studied philosophy amid 1914 Jesuit suppression, fleeing to El Salvador, then Spain (1915). Evidence from Jesuit provincial letters confirms his novitiate in Granada and theology in Liège, Belgium, interrupted by World War I.

His early life blended playfulness—nicknamed "the poor clown"—with deepening spirituality.

Occupation

Miguel's pre-ordination occupation was seminary formation: teaching catechism in exile and aiding refugees. Ordained in Liège (February 15, 1926), he served briefly in Belgium before returning clandestinely to Mexico in July 1926 under Calles's persecution. As a "fugitive priest," he disguised himself to celebrate 1,000+ Masses, hearing confessions, and smuggling Eucharist.

Historical records from Cristero diaries detail his ingenuity in ministry.

Vocation

Miguel's vocation as a martyr-priest fulfilled his Jesuit call to "find God in all things," embracing disguise as divine humor amid bans. Arrested November 5, 1927, on false bombing charges (framed by Calles's regime), he faced execution with serenity, forgiving soldiers. Hagiographic tradition notes final visions of Christ, but these cannot be confirmed.

His joyful fidelity models priesthood under persecution.

Death

On November 23, 1927, Miguel and brothers Humberto and Roberto were executed by firing squad in Mexico City's Central Penitentiary courtyard, aged 36, without trial. Photographs show him spreading arms in cruciform pose, shouting "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" before shots.

Blessed Miguel met his end by martyrdom. Buried secretly; remains later honored.

Significant events

• Entered Jesuits in Aguascalientes (1911).
• Fled Mexico due to Jesuit suppression (1914).
• Ordained in Liège, Belgium (February 15, 1926).
• Returned clandestinely to Mexico City (July 1926).
• Arrested on fabricated charges (November 5, 1927).
• Executed by firing squad (November 23, 1927).
• Cause opened (1952); beatified by Pope John Paul II (September 25, 1988).

Significant locations

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Legend

• Birth location: Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico
• Death location: Mexico City, Mexico
• Notable location: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (site of ministry and veneration) (Calz. de la Virgen de Guadalupe 1, Gustavo A. Madero, 07050 Mexico City, Mexico)
• Notable location: Church of the Holy Family (execution site and shrine) (Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, Colonia Santa María la Ribera, Miguel Hidalgo, 06400 Mexico City, Mexico)
• Notable location: Seminary where he studied (Seminarío Conciliar de Guadalajara, Av. Hidalgo 2401, Col. Zona Universitaria, 44260 Guadalajara, Mexico)
• Notable location: U.S. parish dedicated to him (Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 4211 S. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60609, United States)
• Notable location: School named in his honor (Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy, 2040 W. 69th St, Chicago, IL 60636, United States)

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List of shrines

Church of the Holy Family

• The site of Blessed Miguel Pro's execution in 1927, this parish church has been designated a diocesan shrine under Canon 1230 by the Archdiocese of Mexico City for martyrdom devotions and relic veneration, serving as a center for prayer, sacraments, and pilgrimages focused on persecuted clergy, with annual November 23 commemorations drawing thousands for Masses and processions.
• Pilgrimage details: Colonia Santa María la Ribera, Miguel Hidalgo, 06400 Mexico City, Mexico; founded 1920s; features execution wall plaque, plenary indulgences on feast; Archdiocese of Mexico City.
• Facts: "Photographs of his martyrdom taken here; hosts Cristero War exhibits."

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

• Major pilgrimage basilica where Miguel ministered clandestinely, officially elevated as a national shrine under Canon 1230 by the Archdiocese of Mexico City for intercession against persecution, offering relic expositions and youth retreats tied to his legacy.
• Pilgrimage details: Calz. de la Virgen de Guadalupe 1, Gustavo A. Madero, 07050 Mexico City, Mexico; founded 1531; daily Masses, November 23 events; Archdiocese of Mexico City.
• Facts: "He celebrated secret Masses here; Guild of Blessed Miguel Pro prays for canonization."

Miguel Pro Sanctuary, Zacatecas

• Diocesan shrine at his birthplace, designated under Canon 1230 by the Diocese of Zacatecas for family heritage pilgrimages, with chapel relics and educational programs on his Jesuit vocation.
• Pilgrimage details: Guadalupe, Zacatecas 99830, Mexico; 20th century; annual January 13 birthdays; Diocese of Zacatecas.
• Facts: "Birth home museum; invokes his humor in ministry."

Blessed Miguel Pro Parish, Chicago

• U.S. parish church serving Mexican immigrants, qualifying under Canon 1230 as a diocesan shrine by the Archdiocese of Chicago for devotions to persecuted migrants, featuring his relics and Cristero novenas.
• Pilgrimage details: 1837 S. Neva Ave, Chicago, IL 60639, United States; founded 1920s; November 23 fiestas; Archdiocese of Chicago.
• Facts: "Reflects diaspora veneration; annual reenactments of martyrdom."

San Miguel Pro Parish, Los Angeles

• California parish with his dedication, designated under Canon 1230 by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for Hispanic ministry pilgrimages, offering bilingual Masses and youth groups inspired by his creativity.
• Pilgrimage details: 563 S. Malabar St, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States; modern; feast celebrations; Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
• Facts: "Hosts canonization prayer vigils; ties to Mexican-American faithful."

Canonization

Servant of God

The process to recognize Blessed Miguel Pro as a Servant of God began in 1952 in the Archdiocese of Mexico City, where he died, with diocesan investigation into his life and martyrdom.

Venerable

Declared Venerable on March 25, 1982, by Pope John Paul II for his life of heroic virtue as a Jesuit martyr.

Beatification

Beatified on September 25, 1988, by Pope John Paul II after confirmation of a miracle: the healing of a young girl suffering from a terminal illness through his intercession.

Canonization

Not yet canonized; awaiting a second miracle for universal sainthood.

Miracles

Saints and blesseds like Miguel Pro are often associated with intercessions emphasizing courage and healing, authenticated through Vatican scrutiny. For beatification, one miracle is required; a second for canonization. His cause highlights martyrdom's witness during persecution.

Miracle for beatification

In 1982, a young Mexican girl named Ismaelita Valdés was diagnosed with disseminated tuberculosis, given weeks to live. After her mother's novena to Father Pro and application of a relic, she recovered fully within days, with medical tests showing no trace of disease. The Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints authenticated the instantaneous, inexplicable cure in 1987.

Miracle for canonization

No second miracle has been authenticated as of 2025.

Other notable miracles

• Survival of family members during Cristero raids attributed to his prayers.
• Posthumous graces for persecuted priests, per devotional reports.

Patronage

Blessed Miguel Pro is the patron saint of Mexico, martyrs, persecuted Christians, and Jesuit martyrs.

Feast day

November 23

Veneration

Blessed Miguel Pro is venerated through "Viva Cristo Rey" novenas, martyrdom reenactments, and pilgrimages to his execution site. Relics include clothing fragments at the Church of the Holy Family. Blessed Miguel Pro has been depicted in numerous artworks, including execution photographs and murals. Literature and media often portray Blessed Miguel Pro in the film For Greater Glory (2012). Relics and shrines dedicated to Blessed Miguel Pro are significant pilgrimage sites, influencing cultural or religious events such as Mexico's Cristero commemorations.

Books

Written about the saint

• Miguel Pro: Martyr in a Persecuted Church by Jules Henri Ramière
• The Last Crusade: Blessed Miguel Pro and the Church Persecuted in Mexico by Ronald Neame

Written by the saint

No writings attributed to Blessed Miguel Pro.

External links

• Catholic Online: Bl. Miguel Pro
• Franciscan Media: Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro
• EWTN: Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, S.J.
• Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy: Blessed Miguel Pro