Georgia Martyrs

(Note: As of their full birth names are known, only their recorded religious names are given here.)

Pedro de Corpa was born circa 1560 in Corpa, near Alcalá. He joined the Franciscan Order around 1577 and was likely ordained around 1584. On July 21, 1587, Pedro and twelve other friars (including Antonio de Badajoz) set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and later departed Havana on September 29, arriving at St. Augustine on October 5. Pedro was assigned to work at Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato.^[4] He was the first to be martyred on September 14, 1597.^[5]

Blas Rodríguez was born in the 1550s in Cuacos de Yuste, Cáceres. In the early to mid-1570s, he joined the Franciscans and was ordained sometime in the 1580s. On May 17, 1590, he was approved to be sent to the New World and was assigned to Tupiqui.^[6] Those who killed Pedro then went to kill Blas. Before being executed on September 16, 1597,^[5] he was allowed to celebrate a final Mass and preach:

My sons, for me it is not difficult to die. Even if you do not cause it, the death of this body is inevitable. We must be ready at all times, for we, all of us, have to die someday. But what does pain me is that the Evil One has persuaded you to do this offensive thing against your God and Creator. It is a further source of deep grief to me that you are unmindful of what we missionaries have done for you in teaching you the way to eternal life and happiness.

Miguel de Añon was born in Añón de Moncayo in the 1540s and entered the Franciscans around 1570. His ordination date in unknown and he was sent to the colony of Puerto Rico (and later to Florida) on July 14, 1595, with Francisco de Veráscola. His arrival to St. Augustine was delayed until September 23 due to a tropical storm. He was then assigned to Santa Catalina de Guale, which was originally a Jesuit mission site. Antonio was selected to join Miguel due to his extensive knowledge of the local language. He was ultimately killed when an unbaptized Indian beat him unconscious with a tomahawk. Another Indian then killed the first and hanged himself a few days later.^[7] He was martyred September 17, 1597.^[5]

Antonio de Badajoz was born in Badajoz. He is the only lay brother among the Georgia Martyrs. He came to Florida by following the same route as Pedro. He may have worked at a number of missions, ultimately ending at Santa Catalina.^[8] He was martyred September 17, 1597.^[5]

Francisco de Veráscola Sáez de Castañiza was born and baptized on February 13, 1564, in Gordejuela. He joined the Franciscans in the 1580s and was ordained around 1590. He left from Sanlúcar de Barrameda on July 14, 1595, alongside Miguel and was assigned to Asao, modern-day St. Simons Island. He left his assignment at Santo Domingo de Asao by canoe for St. Augustine to resupply the mission. Upon disembarking, he was axed to death in late September 1597.^[9][5]

In September 1597, the Franciscan missionary efforts came to a head, as Catholic opposition to polygamy and divorce was not aligned with the Guale practice. A baptized Guale man named Juanillo was next in line to the Guale chiefdom, and had attempted marrying a second wife in Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato. Pedro de Corpa rejected this, and so Juanillo beheaded him.^[2] Later, Father Blas was martyred and Juanillo ordered the chief of St. Catherines Island to kill Miguel and Antonio (Miguel's translator), but he refused and instead had the friars escape to San Pedro Island. They refused to leave, and were killed by Juanillo when he arrived. Later in the month, Francisco was martyred as well.

A sixth friar, Francisco de Ávila, survived but was tortured until his liberation months later.

The story of these friars was first communicated by Luis Gerónimo de Oré to King Philip III of Spain. By the 17th century, they were listed in many Franciscan martyrologies.

In the 1950s, the Friars Minor of the United States began to consider honoring their deaths. Their work culminated with Raymond W. Lessard, Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, approving the investigation of their lives and the manner of their deaths. He opened a cause for their beatification on February 22, 1984. In March 2007, the resulting documents were submitted to Rome for approval by Conrad Harkins, O.F.M., the Promoter of their cause, on behalf of the diocese.^[3]

On January 27, 2025, the Holy See confirmed their deaths as acts of martyrdom "in hatred of the faith", officially granting them the title of Venerable, and authorizing their beatification. Their beatification is scheduled for October 31, 2026 in Savannah, with the Mass set to be presided over by Cardinal Frank Leo.^[10]