Beatification of the Georgia Martyrs

From the Diocese of Savannah:

Bishop Stephen D. Parkes is grateful to announce that on January 27, 2025, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the Decree concerning the martyrdom of the Servants of God Pedro de Corpa and Companions, of the Order of Friars Minor, killed in odium fidei (“hatred of the faith”) in September 1597.

The publication of the Decree – declaring that the friars were true martyrs for Christ – is an official act that paves the way for the celebration of the rite of beatification. From this day forward and until beatification, Friar Pedro de Corpa, Friar Blas Rodríguez, Friar Miguel de Añon, Friar Antonio de Badajóz, and Friar Francisco de Veráscola are entitled to the title of “Venerables.”

Details regarding the rite of beatification will be forthcoming.

Bishop Parkes would like to thank the Holy Father; His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints; the Order of Friars Minor of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province; and all of those who have worked to promote the Cause of the Georgia Martyrs for over four decades. May Venerable Friar Pedro de Corpa and Companions intercede for families everywhere, and inspire husbands and wives around the world to live out the sacrament of marriage with love, truth, and fidelity.

Learn more about Friar Pedro de Corpa and Companions here.