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Bl. Miguel Pro was a Jesuit priest in Mexico at a time when the government was trying to suppress the Catholic faith. Priests were forced to marry, arrested for false crimes, or just killed, and churches were forced to close. Miguel continued to run his church secretly, for which he was arrested. He was released, but soon after he was arrested again and accused of attempting to assassinate a general. Despite witnesses saying he wasn't involved, Miguel was executed for the crime, refusing a blindfold so he could face the firing squad. He held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, and after forgiving the soldiers who were about to kill him, his last words were "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" - "Long live Christ the King!".  Lifetime:  1891 to 1927 Region:  Mexico Patronages:  Martyrs; Those facing persecution Iconograpy:  Rosary; Priest garb; Holding out arms at execution; Viva Cristo Rey banner Feast Day:  November 23

St. Juan Diego Cuāuhtlahtoātzin was an average Aztec man until he saw the Apparition of Mary that changed two continents forever. Not much is known about his life before the vision. He was married, but his wife died. He may or may not have had a son with her. He was very devout and especially fond of the Blessed Virgin even before he saw the famous vision of her, and the Apparition itself, and especially Her miraculous image on his tilma led to the rapid conversion of a huge number of indigenous people in Central America. Lifetime:  1474 to 1578 Region:  Modern Mexico Patronages:  Indigenous people of the Americas Iconograpy:  Roses; Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day:  December 9

Known in his life as Cristóbal Magallanes Jara, St. Christopher Magallanes was arrested on his way to celebrate Mass and killed shortly after without trial on May 25, 1927. He and the other Saints of the Cristero War were canonized for facing death after continuing their ministry during the Mexican government's suppression of religion via anticlerical laws such as outlawing wearing priest's garments in public or priests speaking out against the government. 25 martyrs of the Cristero war were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000, all sharing the same feast day of May 21. Pope Benedict XVI declared several more Blessed in 2005, with the shared feast day of November 20, the anniversary of the start of the Mexican Revolution. Pope Francis canonized one more, José Sánchez del Río in 2016, a boy of 14 who was tortured and killed by his government for refusing to deny his faith. His feast day is February 10. Lifetime:  1869 to 1927 Region:  Jalisco, Mexico Patronages:  Ca...