December 2017: The Pope formally "beatified" the martyrdom of Father (Priest) Stanley Rother who was from Okarche, Oklahoma. Beatification is the last step before sainthood although we do not know if he will ever be sainted.
Stanley Francis was a priest in the Oklahoma City diocese and volunteered in catholic missions in Guatemala. In 1968 he served at the parish of Saint James the Apostle (Santiago Apostol) in Santiago Atitlan for the rest of his life. His parishioners were mostly of Mayan decent. For 13 years he helped develop a famers coop, a school, a hospital clinic, a radio station, and a nutrition center. His knowledge of farming appealed immediately to his parishioners who came to adore him. Father Rother was on of many who helped native peoples who didn't speak spanish begin to get involved in politics, recognize the truth of Christianity, and begin organizing, making themselves present in ways there were not before in the country's politics and control.
The very long civil war (1960-1996) that went through multiple military controlled leaders and early on communist leaders, finally reached this remote community in 1981. The military controlled quasi-totalitarian government was at war with communist guerilla fighters. A Priest helping the poor and promoting equality was seen as threat to power (someone perceived as promoting discontent). Father Rother knew he was on a hit list. A group of armed men entered the rectory on July 28, 1981, and shot him twice in the head, a clear assassination ordered by someone. Thousands of assassinations occurred, many of them Catholics nuns and priests. Totalitarian atheist regimes do not like religion (e.g. communist chinese government; communist central American governments) and work to destroy Christianity within their borders. The islamic countries do the same (e.g. no permits to build new churches; crimes against Christians go unpunished; discrimination in the workplace or in opportunities, etc).
Father Rother succeeded in sharing the christian faith with those in a remote area, helped these people as best he could, a true Christian in words and deeds, a true role model for many of us Christians who do not do a very good job of living the word of God and Jesus.
