Habemvs Sanctvs! San Jose Luis Sanchez Del Rio ( IX — XXIX — MMXVI, A.D.)
The Roman Catholic Church has announced last March 2016, that the Church will elevate “Canonize” the Following: Blessed Stanislaus Papczynzki, Blessed Mary Hesselblad, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Blessed Jose Gabriel Brochero, and one of them is Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez Del Rio a 14- year old Martyr in Cristero War during the reign of late President of Mexico Plutarco Elias Calles.
Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez Del Rio was born in Sahuayo Michoacan, Mexico in the 28th of March, 1913. Blessed Jose was a pious boy and active in the Church during his lifetime he spend his time for serving the Lord and the Church, he received First Holy Communion when he was 9 years Old, and when the Anti-religious President Plutarco Elias Calles became the President of Mexico he ordered and banned any religious activities such as wearing a cassock or religious vestments and that time the Catholic Community disagree the law of President Calles, the people still celebrate Holy Mass and make a prayer rally. We all know that the Mexico was a religious country (Catholic Country and one of the famous about their history is the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tepeyac Mexico, they called it Our Lady of Guadalupe) the Priest and religious was deported to Rome and sent away, the People was still insisting to celebrate the holy mass, the religious activities. but the Government has still implemented that the religious activities must banned.
And because of that the Parishioners and the Catholic Community especially the boys has created an association called “Cristero” the Cristero fights their religious freedom and fight the government because of the banning of religious activities, and it began the war called Cristero War, where many religious people, Catholics was dead and killed by the Government Officials the Priest was shot and some are hanged up in the tree, churches. so the Cristeros must warned that if they continue their rebellion in the Government they will die also. Jose Sanchez Del Rio wants to join this association because he want to fight his faith, he wants to give and offer his life to God, he was not afraid to die because he said to his mother, “Nunca ha sido tan facil ganarse el Cielo.” means “It has never been so easy to gain Heaven.” and because of that the Parents of Jose allowed him to join the Cristeros even he was only a 14 year old.
Jose Luis joined the Cristeros and he accepted as a flag bearer of the troop, the Generals amazed at his performance and his participation in the organization they called Jose Luis as “Tarcisio” or Tarcisius (Because Saint Tarcisius is also a young boy who sacrificed his life for not desecrating the Holy Host that will be given to the people in prison). and one day there was a fight between the Cristeros and the Government troops, Jose was a flag bearer during that war he is with his horse. but their leader’s horse was shot and Jose offered immediately his horse to their leader, and because of that Jose was chased by the Government and bring him to their territory (their base) (their base is the Sacristy of the Church of Saint James the Apostle in Sahuayo.) Jose was tortured by the Government his soles of his feet was flayed, The person who flaying him asked Jose “If you say “Death to Christ the King, you will be spared) but Jose still insist and fight for his faith and shouted “Viva Cristo Rey” means “Long Live, Christ the King!” Jose was tortured and tortured again and again but the government failed Jose to deny his faith.
Jose was writing an emotional letter to his aunt, to his mother, during his imprisonment in the Sacristy, he said to the Letter
“Cotija, Mich., Monday, February 6.1928.
“My dear mother:
“I was taken prisoner in combat today. I believe that I am going to die very shortly, but it does not matter, mamá. Resign yourself to the will of God. I die happy, because I die in the ranks of Our Lord.
“Do not be distressed about my death, which is my only worry. Tell my brothers to follow the example of their younger brother and do the will of God. Have courage and send me your blessing and my father’s.
“Give my greetings to all for the last time and receive the heart of your son who loves you and wanted to see you before dying.
“José Sánchez del Río.”
And in the morning of 10th of February 1928, Jose was forced to walk in a highway going to the cemetery where the place they will execute Jose, the Government troops has prepared a grave for him and the man who will execute him was disappointed and because of its anger Then the soldiers, hurling insults at him and giving him blows forced him to walk barefoot with his injured feet through the cobblestone streets toward the cemetery. Along the way, some of the soldiers cut his body with a machete until he was bleeding from several wounds .and when they arrived to the cemetery Jose cried, his mother and father was there convincing him to say the word “Death to Christ the King” so his life may be spared. But Jose still fight for his faith and bravely say “Viva Cristo Rey! Viva Santa Maria de Guadalupe! means ,“Long Live Christ the King, Long Live Holy Virgin of Guadalupe!”
At times they stopped him and said, “If you shout, ‘Death to Christ the King’ we will spare your life.” Jose would only shout, “I will never give in. Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!”
When they reached the cemetery, the soldiers stood the boy before a newly dug hole, his grave. The executioners riddled his battered body with bayonet stabs. At each stab, the boy cried out louder, “Viva Cristo Rey!”
Then the commander of the guard addressed the youth, cruelly asking if he wanted to send a message to his father. To this José replied without yielding, “That we will see each other in Heaven. Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva Santa María de Guadalupe!” These were his last words.
The captain drew his pistol and shot him in the head. José fell into the pit. It was half past eleven on Friday, February 10, 1928. He was 14-years-old.
Before he shot “He draw a cross on the ground and kissed it.”
And because of that, i was blessed by God to have his holy relic, last September 28, 2016, a notice card from the Post Office has given to me and finally the packaged the sacred relic of Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez Del Rio, is ready to pick-up in the Post Office CMEC in Pasay City. my Father immediately pick-up it and September 29, 2016 i received it a First Class relic “Ex Ossibus” from the Bone of Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez Del Rio, finally after three months of waiting by approving of the Local Bishop of Zamora in Mexico. with the help of the Parish Priest where the remains of Blessed Jose was kept (The Parish where Jose was imprisoned “Parroquia Santiago Apostol Sahuayo “Parish of Saint James the Apostle”).
And i’am too happy of that because God answered my prayer again, i was to lucky to be the custodian of the sacred relic, i was to lucky because its hard to get a sacred relic because of the Incoming of Canonization of Him in October 16, 2016 at Rome Italy.
