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Whenever we think of “mission work,” we often think of evangelization done by adults to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Today, however, we look at a different model of “mission.” Specifically, we look at a teen who spread the Christian message by giving his life rather than renounce his Faith. His name was José Luis Sánchez del Rio.
José Luis was born on March 28, 1913 in Sahuayo, Michoacán, Mexico. Later, his family moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco where he attended school.
In 1926, when the Cristero War broke out, José’s two brothers joined the rebel Catholic forces to fight against the anti-Catholic laws that were being enforced by the Mexican government. Young José very much wanted to join the fight, for he heard that when people are martyred for their Faith, they would go straight to heaven. José’s mother, however, as well as the rebel general, Prudencio Mendoza, thought he was too young. José pleaded with his mother, “Mama, do not let me lose the opportunity to gain Heaven so easily and so soon.” Eventually, José’s mother and the general gave José permission to join the rebel forces.
The general made José the flag bearer of the troop, and the Cristeros nicknamed him Tarcisius after the early Christian saint who gave his life defending the Eucharist.
When the general’s horse was killed in battle, José gave his horse to the general. Government soldiers captured José and jailed him in the sacristy of a local church. To break his spirit, they forced him watch the hanging of another Cristero and told him to renounce his faith. José, however, simply encouraged the man to keep the Faith and that they would soon meet in heaven. Instead of renouncing the Faith, José yelled out, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!) the battle cry of the Cristeros.
When the government decided it was time to kill José, they marched him to the cemetery. But before the journey, they cut the bottom of his feet and forced him to walk barefoot over salt. He was then required to walk barefoot to the cemetery. On that journey, he would sometimes be stopped and given the chance to renounce his Catholic faith. Each time, he would shout, “Viva Cristo Rey!” When he would do this, his captors would slash him with their machetes. Even though he was bleeding and crying, young José refused to renounce his Faith or his God.
When José finally made it to the cemetery, his captors gave him one last chance to renounce his Faith. José shouted, “I will never give in. Viva Cristo Rey!” The soldiers stabbed him many times with bayonets, but he kept shouting, “Viva Cristo Rey!” That so infuriated the leader that he pulled out a pistol and shot José in the head. As he fell onto the ground, José drew a cross on the ground with his blood, kissed it, and died. José Luis was 14-years old.
Pope Francis canonized José Luis in 2016. Saint José Luís Sánchez del Rio’s Feast Day is February 10th, the day of his death.
