remembering Father Stanley Rother, martyr

“Nathaniel said to him,

‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’ 

Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’”

                                                               ~Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 46

“On the Cross, Jesus felt the weight of death, the weight of sin, but he gave himself over to the Father entirely, and he forgave. He barely spoke, but he gave the gift of life… Christ ‘beats’ us in love; the martyrs imitated him in love until the very end… We implore the intercession of the martyrs, that we may be concrete Christians, Christians in deeds and not just in words, that we may not be mediocre Christians, Christians painted in a superficial coating of Christianity without substance—they weren’t painted, they were Christians until the end. We ask [the martyrs] for help in keeping our faith firm, that even throughout our difficulties we may nourish hope and foster brotherhood and solidarity.”

                                     ~Pope Francis, Vatican Radio (10-14-13)

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From my biography of Father Stanley Rother, Oklahoma martyr:

There was nothing “painted” in Stanley, the young man who chose to follow Jesus as his disciple; Stanley, the seminarian who endured difficulties, even failure, yet persevered in his calling to the priesthood; Father Stanley, the young parish priest who put aside his fears, courageously agreeing to serve the People of God in Oklahoma’s mission in Guatemala; Father Stanley, the man who struggled to pass Latin and learn Spanish, yet succeeded in learning the rare and challenging Mayan dialect of his Tz’utujil parishioners.

Father Stanley, the Okarche farmer who believed plowing the fields manually next to the Tz’utujil farmers was part of his vocation as a minister of God’s love. And finally, Father Stanley, the shepherd who chose to face death rather than abandon his flock—the shepherd who didn’t run.

It is my hope and my prayer that in the telling of Father Stanley’s story I succeed in introducing you to one person who loved “to the extreme limit,” as Pope Francis described, in making God’s presence real, tangible to the people in his life—by living, loving, and being himself completely.

To paraphrase the question asked in the Gospels by incredulous people about Jesus of Nazareth: can anything good come from Okarche, Oklahoma? 

I invite you to come and see.

If you'd like to read some of my previous blog posts about Father Stanley Rother, see here and also here.

And to order a copy of my book, “The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Fr. Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma,” click here!

Saint Stanley Rother of Okarche and Atitlán: may it happen PRONTO

I spent a large part of this morning watching in “live streaming” from my computer the beautiful celebration and Santa Misa that took place today in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, in honor of the 35^th anniversary of the death of Father Stanley Rother, the American martyr from Oklahoma who was killed in 1981 in their parish rectory.

I was mesmerized by the beautiful liturgy and could not stop watching!

Unlike the celebration I attended in Atitlán for the 30^th anniversary five years ago, this year’s took place on the plaza in front of the historic church of Santiago Apóstol (St. James).  The parish built and decorated a beautiful stage setting, one large enough to hold the many priests, bishops and dignitaries that attended and participated in the tri-lingual liturgy (Spanish / Tz’utujil / and some English).

The plaza was jam-packed with people, many holding umbrellas to protect them from the hot summer sun.  I took a number of screen shots of my computer’s desktop in order to remember what I saw, but none do it justice!  Even so, I’ll post some of the images here (below), just to give you a flavor of what I experienced. 

I would have loved to be in Atitlán for the celebration!  But nevertheless, I am very grateful for technology that allows me to connect and even participate from across the globe. 

I also want to post here for you some of the words of Bishop Gonzalo de Villa y Vásquez, S.J. from today’s homily – first in Spanish (as he said them), and then  my own (unofficial) translation to English. 

I was moved by the Bishop’s continued use of the word “pronto” every time he made a reference to Father Stanley’s canonization! 

[Hablando sobre Padre Apla’s]… su martirio se inscribe literalmente en las palabras de Jesús… dar la vida por sus amigos, por su pueblo, por aquellos a quienes se les confió su cuidado…

[Asi como el año pasado honramos a Monseñor Oscar Romero como martir]… hoy, igualmente, aquí en Atitlán en el recuerdo aparecide la vida y la memoria de Stanley Rother, Apla’s… pedimos a Dios que pronto llegue el día en que la iglesia reconozca oficialmente su martirio… es nuestra petición, es nuestra oración, y es también el tributo que hoy rendimos al pastor que no huyo – al que regresó después de haber salvado su vida alejándose de su parroquia – para sel el pastor fiel que acompaño a su pueblo sufriente…

[al regresar a Atitlán] podemos decir que Apla’s humanamente selló su muerte trágica.  Con ojos de fé… sabemos y proclamamos que esa muerte trágica y cruel abrió para el la vida eternal.,.

por eso hoy celebramos con alegría esta misa, y por ello damos gracias a Dios por el recuerdo y el ejemplo de este sacerdote ejemplar…  y pedimos para que pronto no solo lo recordemos, sino que lo tengamos como intercessor.

¡Que así sea!

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[Speaking about Father Stanley’s death]… his martyrdom is a literal manifestation of Jesus’ words… to give his life for his friends, for his people, those who were entrusted to his care. 

[Referring to Oscar Romero’s canonization last year] … today, in the same way, here in Atitlán, we honor and recall the life and memory of Stanley Rother, Apla’s… we petition to God that the day will soon arrive when the universal Church officially recognizes Father Stanley’s martyrdom. This is our petition. This is our prayer—and it is also the tribute we offer today to the shepherd who did not run, the shepherd who, after going away to safety, returned in order to stand beside his suffering people.

[With his return to Atitlán] we can say that in human terms Father Stanley sealed his tragic death.  With eyes of faith we know and proclaim that his tragic and heartbreaking death opened for him the doors to eternal life.

That is why today we celebrate with joy this Mass, and why we give thanks to God for the example and the memory of this exemplary priest… and we ask that soon we can not only remember him, but also have him as intercessor on our behalf.

May it be so!

~Bishop Gonzalo de Villa y Vásquez,

Diocese of Sololá y Chimaltenango

A few extra links, in case you’re interested in more information:

A couple of my past blog posts on Father Stanley – one here and another one here.

For a link to the Father Stanley Rother Guild, here.

And a few recent articles I’ve written on Father Stanley Rother. --  

In Sooner Catholic, click here.
In Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly, click here.
And in the current issue of Maryknoll Magazine.

One more -- check here for some beautiful photos I found on Facebook from today's celebration in Atitlán by photographer Carlos Damian! A couple of examples:

[PHOTOS © Carlos Damian, 2016]

remembering Stanley F. Rother, on the 50th anni of his ordination

50 years ago today (may 25), Servant of God Stanley Francis Rother was ordained a priest for the then-Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

As you may recall, my current book project is a biography of Father Rother, an Oklahoma missionary whose cause for canonization is in progress.

Oklahoma farm boy Stanley Rother was shot to death on July 28, 1981, while serving the poor of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, earning him a Martyr's crown.  He was 46.

I am taking a break today from our French pilgrimage tales to remember, honor, and offer prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of his life and his priesthood.

I also remember in prayer Father Tom Connery, classmate of Father Rother in the seminary, and all others who also celebrate today their 50^th anniversary of ordination.

a young Father Rother, standing at Lake Atitlán, 

in his beloved Guatemala

In honor of this exceptional and joyful commemoration, I am quoting below a description of Father Rother’s ordination day, as told by the great Oklahoma journalist and historian, Father David Monahan: 

"The twisting, bumpy, 10-year journey to priestly ordination ended for Stanley Rother on May 25, 1963, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Oklahoma City. Family members and friends of the 10 men to be ordained squeezed into the cathedral. 

Ordinations carry their own drama. The Roman Catholic Church, after extended testing and education of those moving toward ordination, nods affirmatively to the candidates joining the ranks of the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ. Each candidate is called by name. Each one literally answers that summons. 

“Franciscus Stanislaus Rother,” the bishop’s assistant called loudly. Stanley responded with a firm “Adsum” (I am here). The candidates lay face down on the floor as the chanted Litany of the Saints poured over them repeatedly asking the champions of Christ to pray for those being ordained. 

Then Bishop Victor Reed prayed over the 10, begging the Holy Spirit to rush upon them. In silence, he laid his hands on their heads one-by-one in a rite which goes back to the roots of the faith community in Jerusalem. 

Later in the ceremony, Stanley’s hands were smeared with fragrant chrism in a special rite to consecrate those hands for their holy work: celebration of the Eucharist, baptism, anointing of the sick, blessings. He knelt before the bishop, placed his hands in the bishop’s hands, and solemnly promised obedience and respect to Bishop Reed and his successors. 

Finally, the newly ordained priests vested with the traditional priestly liturgical garments, and celebrated the Eucharist with the bishop. 

Immediately following the ordination Mass, the new priests gave individual blessings to their parents, other family members, friends, and other priests. One can imagine the proud joy with which Gertrude Smith Rother and Franz Rother knelt before their oldest child to receive his blessing. They were followed by Sister Marita, Jim and Mary Lou, Tom, and many other Rothers. 

In his diary, Stanley summed up the day with: “Very excited.” For the reticent Father Stanley Rother that emotional state translates into something like extreme delight or overwhelming happiness."

icon available through the 

Father Stanley Rother Guild

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And would you join us in praying for the Canonization of Father Stanley Rother, Oklahoma Martyr?

Heavenly Father,
source of all holiness,
in every generation you raise up
men and women heroic in love and service. 

You have blessed your Church
with the life of Stanley Rother,
priest, missionary, and martyr. 

Through his prayer, his preaching,
his presence, and his pastoral love,
you revealed Your love and Your presence
with us as Shepherd. 

If it be your will,
may he be proclaimed
by the universal church
as martyr and saint,
living now in your presence
and interceding for us all. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

mercy

image from A Circle of Friends

“Our personal lives and the lives of so many people are deeply affected by the staggering lack of forgiveness in our world. People are held captive by revenge and bitterness, by hostility and alienation…
 Lack of forgiveness—the showing of mercy to others—sabotages our ability to love. And without unfettered love in our lives, we distance ourselves from God and from others, often ending in a deep estrangement from the loving person we are called to be by God.”

~Edward O’Donnell, OCD,

 in Spiritual Life, Fall 2012

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Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great/And would suffice.

~Fire and Ice,

by Robert Frost

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praying at Mass

Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala

“We know now in what way Christ would live in our humanity. Not as One who, having proved his love, has gone back to his Father leaving us a sealed tomb, but as One who, having tasted to the full the joys and sorrows of human nature, having embraced the grief of mankind, having drained death to the last bitter dregs, sets his wounded feet in the dust again, takes bread into his wounded hands again, and seizing a doubting friend’s hand, thrusts I into his sounded heart; as though saying by his every act to all who would ever tremble and doubt: “I did not wipe the tears from the face of sorrow to lay sorrow by. I did not touch pain with fierce redeeming beauty to have done with it; I cannot give myself into the arms of death to cast death aside! I made all these things my own that the glory I gave to them should be yours, that while they remain with you, I shall remain with them.” He has taken all those things to himself, and has changed them all for us.”

~Caryll Houselander, as quoted in Magnificat, April 7, 2013