Happy Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe!! On this special Feast Day, I want to share the story of a Saint who died for preaching the Gospel of Christ the King.
St. Toribio Romo Gonzalez was born in 1900 to a Mexican peasant farm family. He had two siblings: a sister Maria, and a younger brother, Roman, who would also go on to become a priest. Toribio entered seminary at a very young age and received a dispensation to be ordained at the tender age of 22.
Fr. Toribio's ministry was characterized by an emphasis on catechesis to the poor and the centrality of the Eucharist. Starting in November 1926, after a revolt against the anti-clerical persecutions, he was forced to take up an itinerant lifestyle. After relocating almost a dozen times, his final residence was the rural settlement of Agua Caliente, where he was sent to hide. There, he was joined by his siblings and he continued to secretly carry out his priestly ministry.
In the early morning hours of February 25, 1928, shortly after Fr. Toribio had retired for the night, government troops arrived and broke into the bedroom where he was sleeping. He was shot twice. The second bullet caused him to fall into the arms of his sister, who cried out, "Courage, Father Toribio . . . merciful Christ, receive him! Long live Christ the King!"
Despite the fact that in 1920, he wrote a play that warned migrants against traveling to the States, there is a belief among some Mexicans that Toribio Romo has appeared to some who cross the border illegally to assist them in distress.
St. Toribio Romo's feast day is May 21 (along with the other saints of the Cristero War). He is patron of Mexican migrants and Mexico-United States border crossers. Saint Toribio, pray for us.
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