AVE

MARIA!
 VIVA
CRISTO REY!
 Saint. Jose Luis
Sanchez del Rio
(March 28,1913-
February 10,1928)
 LIFE
AND
CRISTERO WAR
José Luis Sanchez del Rio(dubbed as Joselito)
was born on March 28,1913, in Sahuayo,
Michoacan, Mexico. He was the third of four
children. Jose loved his faith and grew up with
a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
 When José was twelve years old, the Cristero Wars began

in Mexico. During this period in history the Mexican

government attempted to extinguish the influence of the

Catholic Church throughout the Country. It persecuted the

Catholic Church by seizing property, closing religious

schools and convents, and executing Catholic priests.

 In defense of the Church, the peasants of many of the
central and western states in Mexico rebelled against the
government.

-The Cristero War, also known as the Cristero Rebellion or

La Cristiada. The Cristeros generally saw the conflict as a
religious war against the anticlericalism of the Mexican
Government by Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles.
Strictly enforced Article 130 of the Constitution, a
decision known as Calles Law. Calles sought to:

Eliminate the power of the Catholic Church, it’s affiliated

organizations and to suppress popular religiosity.

Prohibited the practice of the Catholic Religion in public.

Such as religious vows were illegal, monasteries and
convents were dissolved and religious could no longer use
habits.
 All church property was confiscated, all those who did
not obey these immoral laws or even spoke against them
were fined or imprisoned or even killed.

A serious or repeated offense often meant execution so

the government was waging a bloody war against the
Catholic Church.
• Jose witnessed the horrible persecution of the Church, that lead him
to follow his two older brothers to join the Cristeros.

• Jose was so young that his parents didn’t want him to go. Even
though he was too young to join the rebellion, Jose desperately
wanted to be a Cristero and stand up for his Faith. He beg his
mother saying, “Mama, do not let me lose the opportunity to gain
Heaven so easily and so soon”. However, after a lot of pleading and a
visit to a Cristero Officer, finally got his parents to say YES.

• Jose was overjoyed but also aware of the suffering he would endure.
 “ FOR
JESUS CHRIST,
I WILL DO EVERYTHING”
Cristero Camp

-given daily duties to perform like carrying water,

serving coffee, feeding the horses and cleaning rifles.

Jose went about these chores so enthusiastically that the

soldiers soon become fond of him. He never missed
attending daily Mass and prayed the Rosary every
morning with the Soldiers.
• He was eventually

allowed to join the effort

as a Flag Bearer.
TORTURE AND DEATH

During a battle Jose was captured and was asked

to deny his faith and the Cristero cause. Jose
refused and was tortured terribly. Refusing to
renounce his faith angered the government soldiers
so much that they cut off the bottom of his feet.
• Jose was forced to walk around the town toward the
cemetery. He cried and moaned with pain, but he did not
give in. Jose would only shout , “I will never give in, VIVA
CRISTO REY!”.

• When they reached the place of execution, his captors

stabbed him and was so furious that he pulled out his
pistol and shot Jose in the head. Moment before his death,
the boy drew a cross in the dirt and kissed it.
Jose died in February 10, 1928 (aged 14) Sahuayo,
Michoacan, Mexico.

Beatified, November 20,2005, Guadalajara, Mexico by

Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins (on the behalf of Pope
Benedict XVI).

Canonized, October 16,2016, Saint Peter’s Square,

Vatican City by Pope Francis.
Joselito was a powerful example of youth, strong, bravery and
faith.

 A young boy who stood up for people to be able to love God

and the Church freely in Mexico.

Even when times were scary for, Saint Jose, he always said the
rosary, prayed for the enemy, sang songs to Our Lady of
Guadalupe, and was known to proclaim, “ LONG LIVE
CHRIST THE KING!”.
Saint Jose was full of courage even when he was in pain,
he allowed the love of Jesus to be the most important
thing in his life.

 In popular culture, José Luis Sanchez del Rio is one of

the characters portrayed in the film For Greater Glory
which depicts the story of the Cristero War and also
depicts his martyrdom.
 VIVA
CRISTO REY!