Anacleto González Flores and companions

The work of this group of martyrs is rooted in an exceptional lay commitment within Mexican society at the beginning of the 20th century. Faced with growing persecution, these men did not remain passive. Anacleto González Flores, a leading figure of the movement, founded the Mexican Catholic Youth Association (ACJM) in Guadalajara as well as the Popular Union (Unión Popular), a movement aimed at peacefully organizing Catholics, workers, and peasants to defend their fundamental rights. He also created the newspaper Gladium ("the sword") to disseminate the social doctrine of the Church and encourage spiritual resistance. Each of the members of the group actively participated in this work of evangelization and charity. Luis Padilla Gómez taught underprivileged children on a voluntary basis. The Vargas González brothers opened their home to celebrate clandestine Masses and hide the clergy. Miguel Gómez Loza traveled through the countryside to organize Christian unions and promote social justice. Luis Magaña Servín drew inspiration from the encyclical Rerum Novarum to defend the dignity of artisans and workers. As for the Huerta Gutiérrez brothers, they placed their professional talents (music and mechanics) and their large family life at the service of the parish community. When the persecution intensified in 1926, banning public worship, they supported the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty (LNDLR) both morally and materially.

The path to holiness for these nine laypeople was accomplished through the trial of fire and blood. Arrested by federal military forces under the orders of the Calles regime, they all underwent cruel interrogations and physical torture aimed at making them renounce their faith or provide information about priests and leaders of the resistance.

On April 1, 1927, Anacleto González Flores was arrested with the Vargas González brothers and Luis Padilla Gómez. Tortured at the military headquarters (the cuartel Colorado), Anacleto had his limbs dislocated and the soles of his feet lacerated, but he refused to speak. Before being executed by bayonet and gunfire, he forgave his executioner, General Jesús María Ferreira, telling him: "I forgive you with all my heart, very soon we will see each other before the divine tribunal...". Luis Padilla Gómez, shot the same day, was comforted by Anacleto who told him: "No, my brother, it is no longer the time to confess, but to ask for forgiveness and to forgive. It is a Father and not a judge who awaits you. Your own blood will purify you".

The Huerta Gutiérrez brothers were arrested on April 2, 1927. Salvador was tortured to reveal where his priest brothers were hiding. The next day, April 3, they were led to the Mezquitan cemetery. Salvador asked for a lit candle, held it against his chest, and cried out: "Long live Christ the King and the Virgin of Guadalupe! Shoot, I die for my God whom I love so much!".

Luis Magaña Servín surrendered on February 9, 1928, to save his younger brother who had been taken hostage. Before the firing squad, he declared: "I have never been a Cristero rebel... but if I am accused of being a Christian, then yes, I am".

Miguel Gómez Loza, hunted for his role as civil governor of the resistance, was shot by the federal army on March 21, 1928.

Finally, the young José Sánchez del Río, captured during a battle where he had given his horse to his leader to allow him to escape, was imprisoned in his own hometown of Sahuayo. The soldiers flayed the soles of his feet and forced him to walk to the cemetery. Despite the atrocious pain, he shouted at every step: "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" before being stabbed and finished off with a bullet to the head on February 10, 1928.

The cause for the beatification of these martyrs was introduced in the Archdiocese of Guadalajara. On June 22, 2004, Pope John Paul II officially recognized their martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith).

On November 20, 2005, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Benedict XVI proceeded with their solemn beatification. The ceremony took place at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, presided over by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. This group of nine laypeople was beatified alongside four other Mexican martyrs (three priests and one layman).

Among this group, the young José Sánchez del Río was subsequently canonized by Pope Francis on October 16, 2016, in Rome, following the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. The other eight companions retain the status of blessed.

Their common liturgical memorial is celebrated on November 20, the anniversary of their beatification and a highly symbolic date in Mexico. They are also celebrated individually on the day of their birth into heaven (the day of their martyrdom).

The spirituality of these martyrs rests on three fundamental pillars: an ardent Eucharistic devotion, a filial love for the Virgin of Guadalupe, and a social commitment guided by the Gospel. Several of them, such as Luis Magaña Servín and the Huerta Gutiérrez brothers, were fervent members of the Nocturnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It was in daily communion and silent prayer that they drew the strength to face persecution without hatred or a spirit of vengeance.

Their legacy is immense for the Church in Mexico and for the laity throughout the world. They demonstrate that holiness and the heroic witness of faith are not reserved for the clergy, but are fully accessible to fathers, students, professionals, and even children. By choosing the path of forgiveness toward their executioners at the very moment of their execution, they embodied Christ's message of peace and reconciliation. The rallying cry that sealed their death, "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" (Long live Christ the King!), remains even today a powerful symbol of God's sovereignty over hearts and nations.