Today is the birth day of Blessed Stanley Rother, first U.S. martyr—and as you may recall, the subject of one of my biographies – “The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Blessed Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma.”
He would have been 84 years old.
I've blogged many times about Father Stan and his ministry to the Tz'utujil indians of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, for example here and here. And I have published several articles on him. Here’s one, and here’s another.
As a missionary priest serving in the Oklahoma mission in Santiago Atitlán, Padre Francisco, called Apla's by the Guatemala Tz'utujil indians, had a special place in his heart for the children.
It's not difficult to see how this love, compassion and mercy manifested itself in his earnest commitment and ministry for the widows and the orphans during Guatemala's bloody civil war.
By the way, Our Sunday Visitor recently re-released a revised edition of my book, updating it to note Father Stan’s Beatification on September 23, 2017. Check it out here! The book is also available on Amazon for Kindle and as an Audiobook.
To join the cause, watch a beautiful documentary, or tell the story of a miracle, go to StanleyRother.org -- or contact me! I will point you in the right direction.
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