Our Patron Saint

Stanley Rother was an American Catholic priest and missionary whose life was marked by humility, service, and deep faith. He was born in 1935 in rural Oklahoma and grew up on a farm in a strong Catholic family, where he learned the importance of hard work, faith, and devotion to God.

After becoming a priest for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Father Rother felt called to missionary work and began serving in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. There he worked closely with the Tz’utujil people, celebrating Mass, helping the poor, translating parts of the Bible into the local language, and caring deeply for his parish community.

During Guatemala’s civil war in the late 1970s and early 1980s, many priests and Catholic leaders were targeted for defending the poor and standing with their communities. Father Rother was warned that his life was in danger and briefly returned to Oklahoma for safety. However, he chose to return to Guatemala, saying that a shepherd cannot abandon his flock.

On July 28, 1981, Father Rother was murdered in his parish rectory because of his faith and his service to the people he loved. The Church recognizes his death as martyrdom.

In 2017 he was beatified and is now known as Blessed Stanley Rother, becoming the first U.S.-born Catholic martyr to be beatified. His life continues to inspire people around the world as an example of courage, missionary love, and faithfulness to Christ.

Blessed Stanley Rother was beatified in 2017 after the Church recognized that he was killed for his faith while serving the people of Guatemala. Because of this, he is honored as a martyr and an example of courage, humility, and faithful service.

For him to be canonized as a saint, the Catholic Church must recognize a miracle that occurs through his intercession after his beatification. This usually means a healing or event that cannot be explained by science and happens after people pray for his help.

Many Catholics pray the official prayer for the canonization of Blessed Stanley Rother, asking for his intercession and for a miracle that will lead to his sainthood. By praying for his canonization, people continue to spread devotion to his life and mission and help support the cause for him to one day be declared Saint Stanley Rother. Please pray for his intercession by clicking the button below.