A period in Mexican history that has been conveniently and purposely forgotten by the Mexican government until just recently, the 1920's saw tremendous persecution of the Catholic Church. It was a time of revolution and the revolutionaries felt that the Church was too closely entrenched in the former rulers of the country. Although there was a certain amount of truth to this, the marxist government that replaced them went far to the opposite extreme. Much like the Communist regime in Russia, religious practice was banned, the churches were closed and priests were either expelled or were in hiding. The government was particularly focused on finding and persecuting priests. This in a country where the vast majority of the people were Roman Catholics.
Miguel Agustin Pro was born January 13, 1891, in Guadalupe de Zacates,Mexico. From his childhood, he was known for his high spirits and happy personality. The son of an affluent mining engineer and a pious and charitable mother, Miguel had a special affinity for the working classes.
At 20, he became a Jesuit novice and shortly afterwards was exiled due to the Mexican revolution. He traveled to the United States, Spain, Nicaragua and Belgium, where he was ordained in 1925. Father Pro suffered greatly from a severe stomach disorder. When his health did not improve after several surgeries, his superiors permitted him to return to Mexico in 1926.
Father Pro became a great master of disguise and spent the remainder of his life in a secret ministry to the Mexican Catholics who helped hide him from the authorities. Eluding the authorities, he appeared at times as a street sweeper, wealthy businessman (shown at left--notice the policeman strolling by unaware of Father Pro) or many other characters that he assumed. One time he actually went in to a police station to ask directions!
In addition to fulfilling their spiritual needs, Fr. Pro also assisted the poor of Mexico City with their temporal needs. He often visited people in prison (in disguise, of course) to administer the sacraments to those condemned by the government. In all that he did, he remained filled with the joy of serving Christ, his King.
He and his brother, Roberto, were arrested on trumped-up charges of attempting to assassinate Mexico’s president. Roberto was spared but Miguel was sentenced to face a firing squad on November 23, 1927.
Shown left and below are two photographs taken at his execution. The executioners wanted to be sure that the word got out of the fate of Fr. Pro. It was meant to be a warning to others, but had the opposite effect. It merely helped to stiffen the resistance to the crackdown. Father Pro knelt to pray and to forgive those who were about to execute him. With a rosary in his hand he exclaimed "Viva Cristo Rey" (Long live Christ the King) as the firing squad executed him for being a Catholic priest and serving his flock.
