Blessed Miguel Agustin Professional endured many challenges through the two years of his priesthood: poor well being, bodily and emotional struggling, and persecution. But he persevered and have become a martyr who’s acknowledged by the Church for his holiness.
Miguel Professional was born on January 13, 1891 in Guadalupe, Zucatecas in Mexico. He was the oldest son of a mining engineer and a homemaker. Miguel was certainly one of seven youngsters; three of his siblings died whereas nonetheless very younger. At age 4, Miguel developed a severe sickness that triggered a excessive fever and ache, and left him unable to talk. Medical doctors have been unable to assist him. Sooner or later, his father held him earlier than an image of Our Girl of Guadalupe and prayed, “My mom, give me again my son.” Miguel abruptly recovered and requested cocol, a favourite sort of bread. The medical doctors thought-about his treatment miraculous. Years later, Miguel signed his letters as “Cocol,” when disguising his identification as a priest through the time of persecution in Mexico.
Miguel was a cheerful boy who liked music, performed the guitar and mandolin, and fashioned a music group with 4 of his siblings. He additionally loved placing on performs along with his brothers and sisters, and along with his puppet theater. He had a cheerful residence life along with his religious, shut household. He acquired his first Holy Communion from St. Matteo Correa, a priest who was martyred in 1927 for safeguarding the seal of confession.
Miguel discovered to like the poor from his mom, who took him to go to the miners and their households when she introduced them issues they wanted and took care of them once they have been sick. Miguel and his siblings have been first homeschooled by their father, after which have been taught by tutors. When Miguel was seven, he and two of his sisters started serving to their father within the workplace on Saturdays. When he was fifteen, he started doing clerical work within the workplace for his father as a full-time job.
In 1910, certainly one of Miguel’s sisters joined the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Six months later, one other certainly one of his sisters entered the identical order. At the moment, Miguel started to appreciate that he may need a vocation to non secular life as properly. In August 1911 at age twenty, he requested to be admitted to the Society of Jesus and was accepted. On August 15, 1913, he made his first vows as a Jesuit. His time within the novitiate was interrupted due to the persecution of Catholics following the Mexican Revolution. After some troopers vandalized the ranch home on the novitiate property, the Jesuits, wearing disguises, left their city for Guadalajara. Miguel was briefly reunited along with his household. The revolution introduced poverty to the Professional Household. Miguel’s father misplaced his job with the Company of Mines; the constructing the place he as soon as labored was burned down. The household needed to transfer into one room in a boarding home, and his mom labored to assist assist the household by giving cooking classes. In October, the Jesuits left Guadalajara by practice for Los Gatos, California with temporary stops in Texas alongside the best way. When Miguel stated goodbye to his mom, he didn’t notice that he would by no means see her once more on earth. The Mexican novices couldn’t keep lengthy in California because the residence was not giant sufficient to accommodate them they usually couldn’t receive textbooks in Spanish. In June 1915, they left by ship for Granada, Spain the place Miguel and the opposite novices studied for the following 5 years. Throughout his time in Spain, Miguel taught catechism to native youngsters and to Gypsies.
Miguel was a joyful individual with humorousness. For instance, he made the novices snigger when he pretended that the cart he pushed into the eating room was a quick automobile. Nonetheless, he was very severe about what’s most essential: his religion. He was at all times involved for individuals who have been sick. When the opposite novices have been sick, he drew them get properly playing cards to cheer them up, and when lots of the Jesuits grew to become sick with influenza, he volunteered to assist deal with them till he grew to become in poor health with the flu himself. Miguel skilled a lot bodily struggling as he ready for the priesthood; he developed complications and extreme abdomen ache, however he hid his situation from his brother Jesuits and his household.
In 1920, Miguel was despatched to show on the Jesuit Faculty in Granada, Nicaragua for 2 years. Whereas there, he performed sports activities and video games with the scholars and taught the servants on the faculty studying, writing, and math. In July 1922, he returned to Spain to check theology. Two years later, he was despatched to Belgium to proceed finding out theology on the Jesuit philosophy college. He needed to assist the poor as a priest, and whereas in Belgium, he visited factories and the houses of working individuals, and studied the Church’s social teachings, together with the encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII and St. Pius X. On August 31, 1925, Miguel Professional was ordained to the priesthood in Belgium. His household was unable to be there, so he blessed pictures of them after his ordination. In a letter he wrote letter to a Jesuit brother in Nicaragua, Father Professional shared what being ordained a priest meant to him. “God, our Lord, has proven infinite pity to me as a result of regardless of my faults, my imperfections, my sins, he has raised me to the very best dignity on earth. Blessed be he a thousand occasions! Assist me, Brother Frias, to thank him and ask him that I could also be a holy priest with out placing obstacles within the plans he has for me. With him I don’t concern and I shall stroll certainly wherever holy obedience sends me.”
Father Professional’s well being proceed to worsen, and in November 1925, he had an operation for his bleeding ulcer, which eliminated a lot of his abdomen. He was left in nice ache after the surgical procedure, the incision didn’t heal, and he needed to have extra surgical procedure. Whereas recuperating on the hospital, he discovered that his mom had died. He was very unhappy at this information, however felt consoled as a result of he believed she was in Heaven, and provided a Mass for her. On the finish of February, he was despatched to recuperate at a house for sick clergymen in southern France. There he was in a position to have fun Mass each morning, serve on the Lots celebrated by different clergymen, go to the clergymen residing there, and go to the laypeople within the native cities. Father Professional felt nice pleasure in his priesthood. He wrote, “I bless God for having concurred conferred upon me the nice dignity of being a priest. What fantastic happiness one finds in bringing peace to a troubled workmen’s household! What pleasure in taking Holy Communion to a teen of ninety-four! What pleasure in sitting beneath a tree and listening to the confession of an easy-living gardener or of instructing the fundamental factors of catechism to a Communist whereas kicking the shavings and sawdust of his workshop!”
Because it appeared that Father Professional would by no means regain his well being, his provincials despatched him to Mexico so he may spend his remaining time along with his household. Earlier than leaving Europe, Father Professional was in a position to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes for someday. His go to strengthened him for his work in Mexico. He wrote, “For me, going to Lourdes means assembly my Mom, speaking to her, praying to her. My voyage won’t be as arduous as I assumed it could be. The Blessed Virgin has informed me that. Oh, my depressing human nature was discovering it arduous to return to Mexico. My well being is gone, my research are completed, my poor nation has been destroyed by its governors. I can’t even have the pleasure of once more seeing my mom who gave me life. I weep for her even than within the midst of resignation and conformity to God’s will. Nonetheless, my journey to Lourdes has given me contemporary braveness.”
Catholics in Mexico had been experiencing a time of persecution. The 1917 Structure made Catholic faculties, monastic orders, and public worship exterior of church unlawful. Overseas clergymen may not function missionaries and have been deported. Monks couldn’t put on clerical clothes and weren’t allowed to talk about politics or towards authorities leaders. President Plutarco Calles enforced the anti-Catholic Structure and took over the entire church buildings within the nation. The bishops determined to droop all public worship starting on the day the federal government possession of the church buildings would go into impact. God protected Father Professional, beginning along with his arrival. The federal government officers didn’t test his passport or look into his suitcases. As there was no Jesuit group, he was in a position to stick with his household. Father Professional was saved very busy providing Mass, listening to confessions, baptizing infants, celebrating marriages, giving Anointing of the Sick to the dying, main retreats, and bringing Holy Communion to teams of individuals in personal houses. He needed to dwell a lifetime of full selflessness and sacrifice. He wrote, “I’m prepared to offer my life for souls, however I would like nothing from anybody for myself. All that I would like is to cause them to God. If I saved something for myself, I ought to be a thief, notorious; I ought to not be a priest.” God gave him the power he wanted to do that work. His well being improved and he stated he felt properly throughout this time. He was ordered by his superiors to proceed his research in theology and handed his exams two months earlier than he was martyred. A big a part of Father Professional’s ministry in Mexico was in helping the poor. He and a bunch of laypeople helped the poor with housing, meals, and clothes. He additionally discovered houses for some deserted infants. He wrote the next about God’s Windfall: “Who offers the rice, beans, sugar, corn, and so on.? I don’t know, or slightly, sure, I do know: Mi Padre Dio— as a result of in an infinite variety of circumstances and with out my having requested anybody for something and proper when all had run out, I’ve acquired presents of provides with out understanding who despatched them.”
Father Professional wore varied disguises together with that of a mechanic, a college pupil, and a policeman, and managed to always evade discover by the police, who have been at all times on the lookout for clergymen to arrest. He was conscious of the hazard and was ready to be a martyr for the Religion. He wrote, “Would that I is perhaps discovered worthy of struggling persecution for the holy identify of Jesus. Do I not belong to his military? However allow us to repeat as within the Our Father: “Thy shall be finished!”
Father Professional’s superiors ordered him to remain in hiding locations every so often. He stayed hidden out of obedience, however was at all times desperate to return to his ministry as quickly as attainable. He had some close to escapes from the police, however his fast thoughts and expertise for performing enabled him to keep away from seize. For instance, whereas at a house the place he was giving Holy Communion to a bunch of Catholics, a servant informed them that the police have been coming. Father Professional requested everybody to enter totally different rooms and stay silent. He greeted the policeman and accompanied him as they searched the home for the priest, after which as no priest was discovered, Father Professional left the house, with out the policeman ever suspecting that he was the priest they have been trying to find.
On November 13, 1927, a person named Luis Segura Vilchis and three companions threw two bombs on the automobile of Normal Alvaro Obregun, the anti-Catholic president-elect, who was not damage within the assassination try. The automobile had beforehand belonged to Father Professional’s brother, Humberto, and was bought only some days earlier. Realizing that he and his brothers is perhaps in peril, Father Professional and his two brothers went into hiding at a girl’s home. His brothers deliberate to go to america and he hoped to renew his ministry. On November 18, the police arrived to arrest them. They have been taken to the basement cell of the police station. Throughout his time in jail, Father Professional prayed the Rosary, sang, and inspired the opposite prisoners to wish. Segura Vilchis turned himself into the police and knowledgeable them of the Professional brothers’ innocence, however Father Professional and his brothers remained in jail. On November 23, the boys have been taken from the jail to be executed by firing squad. Calles had invited the media and authorities representatives to look at. A restraining order had been issued towards the execution however the jail officers ignored it. Earlier than his execution, Father Professional professed his innocence, stated he forgave everybody, and requested for a while to wish. He knelt to wish, after which refused to be blindfolded, and stood along with his arms outstretched like a cross, holding a crucifix in a single hand and a Rosary within the different. Earlier than he was shot, he referred to as out, “Vivo Christo Rey!” As he didn’t die straight away, a soldier shot him within the head. It was very clear that Father Professional had been martyred for his religion in Jesus.
Father Professional’s brother Humberto was additionally killed, however his brother Roberto was allowed to dwell. Father Professional’s father introduced his sons’ our bodies residence for a wake, and many individuals got here. Quickly after Father Professional’s demise, quite a few individuals visited his grave and requested for his intercession. His trigger for sainthood was formally accepted by Pope Pius XII in 1952, and Father Professional was beatified by St. John Paul II on September 25, 1988. His feast day is November 23.
Whereas we don’t expertise the identical issues because the Mexican Catholics within the 1920s and 1930s, the secular tradition which dominates authorities, media, training, healthcare, and enterprise has values opposite to the teachings of the Church. This will result in legal guidelines and insurance policies which might make some features of training our Religion tougher, however nobody can cease us from changing into saints. We have to observe the instance of Blessed Miguel Professional and the Mexican martyrs and stay devoted to Jesus by persevering in prayer, receiving the sacrament of Penance, collaborating at Mass, and doing the works of mercy. Blessed Miguel relied on the intercession of the Blessed Mom, and he was devoted to the Sacred Coronary heart of Jesus and to Jesus as Christ the King. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he got here up with inventive methods to carry the sacraments to the Mexican individuals and look after the poor. If we fully belief in Jesus as Blessed Miguel did, He’ll assist us too. We must not ever cease being a disciple of Jesus out of concern of the world. Christ is our King and Mary is our Queen.
On the finish of his life, Blessed Miguel Professional wrote the gorgeous prayer beneath to the Sacred Coronary heart of Jesus, which we are able to pray to ask for Jesus to assist us. “Coronary heart of Jesus, I like Thee; however improve my love. Coronary heart of Jesus, I belief in Thee; however give better vigor to my confidence. Coronary heart of Jesus, I give my coronary heart to Thee; however so enclose it in Thee that it could by no means be separated from Thee. Coronary heart of Jesus, I’m all Thine; however deal with my promise in order that I could possibly put it into follow even unto the entire sacrifice of my life.”
