Pedro de Corpa and 4 companions

At the end of the 16th century, Spanish Franciscan missionaries established themselves along the coast of Spanish Florida (which then encompassed present-day Georgia). Unlike military expeditions, these religious men settled peacefully within the villages of the Guale tribe. They learned their language, shared their modest way of life in huts made of wood and mud, and began to evangelize them and administer the sacraments. The five friars were distributed among different coastal missions: Pedro de Corpa led the mission of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Tolomato (near the present-day city of Darien); Blas Rodríguez served the mission of Santa Clara in Tupiqui (near Eulonia); Miguel de Añon and the lay brother Antonio de Badajoz (who served as an interpreter thanks to his mastery of the local language) worked at the mission of Santa Catalina on the island of Santa Catalina; Francisco de Veráscola, nicknamed the "Cantabrian giant" because of his imposing stature and physical strength, led the mission of Santo Domingo in Asao on Saint Simons Island. The Guale culture permitted polygamy. Faithful to the doctrine of the Church, the Franciscans only granted baptism to adults on the condition that they commit to a monogamous marriage. While the majority of converts respected this rule, a major crisis erupted when Juanillo, a young baptized and married warrior, heir to the caciquate (tribal chieftaincy), decided to take a second wife. Father Pedro de Corpa firmly reminded him of his baptismal commitments and warned him that he would oppose his succession as head of the village if he persisted in polygamy. Furious, Juanillo left the mission, gathered non-Christian warriors from the interior, and fomented a revolt to eliminate the missionaries. On September 14, 1597, at dawn, Juanillo and his men attacked Father Pedro de Corpa in his hut in Tolomato and killed him with a blow from a stone axe (macana). The revolt spread rapidly to the other missions: on September 16, the insurgents captured Father Blas Rodríguez in Tupiqui. Aware of his imminent death, he obtained permission to celebrate one last Mass before being executed. On September 17, they attacked the island of Santa Catalina. Although warned of the danger by the local chief, Brother Antonio de Badajoz refused to flee and chose to remain by the side of Father Miguel de Añon. Father Miguel celebrated Mass and forgave his executioners before they were both massacred. On September 18, Father Francisco de Veráscola was surprised and murdered with axe blows as he disembarked from his canoe on Saint Simons Island, returning from a supply trip to Saint Augustine. A sixth Franciscan, Francisco de Ávila, was captured and tortured for ten months before being released. During the trial conducted by the Spanish authorities, he refused to testify against his captors in order to spare them the death penalty, illustrating the spirit of forgiveness of the missionaries.

The reputation of martyrdom of the five Franciscans was established immediately after their death, both among the faithful and among their brothers of the Order of Friars Minor. In 1941, the United States episcopate requested that Pope Pius XII open a cause for beatification for a group of 118 missionaries, including the Georgia martyrs. The specific cause of Pedro de Corpa and his companions was officially launched in 1950 by the Franciscan Order, with the appointment of Father Marion Habig as vice-postulator. After several reforms of the canonization procedures by the Holy See, the diocesan inquiry was officially opened in 1984 by Bishop Raymond W. Lessard, Bishop of Savannah. This diocesan phase was closed on March 16, 2007, and all documents were transmitted to Rome, to the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Causes of Saints. In September 2022, on the occasion of the 425th anniversary of the martyrdom, the historical committee of the Dicastery validated the historical inquiry.

On January 27, 2025, Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the martyrdom in odium fidei of Pedro de Corpa and his four companions. This recognition confers upon them the title of Venerable and paves the way for their beatification without the requirement of a miracle. The beatification ceremony is set for October 31, 2026, in Savannah, Georgia (United States). It will be presided over by Cardinal Frank Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto, acting as legate for Pope Leo XIV. This historic event constitutes the very first beatification celebrated on the soil of the state of Georgia and in the Southern United States.

The martyrs of Georgia are venerated as models of pastoral fidelity and heroic defenders of the dignity of women and the sanctity of Christian marriage. Their refusal to compromise on monogamy, despite the obvious risks to their lives, testifies to their absolute attachment to the teaching of the Gospel. Their method of evangelization, based on peace, evangelical poverty, and inculturation without military protection, remains an example of respectful missionary apostolate. They were able to integrate deeply into the life of the Guale, like Francisco de Veráscola who participated in the games and wrestling of the young natives to gain their trust. Today, their memory is particularly alive in the Diocese of Savannah. The diocese's school of theological and catechetical formation for adults bears the name "Escuela Catequética Fray Pedro de Corpa." Furthermore, the archaeological sites of their former missions, notably on the island of Santa Catalina, are the subject of research and pilgrimages.