Stanley Francis Rother grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and attended Holy Trinity Catholic Church and School. He worked hard doing chores, attended school, played sports, was an altar server, and enjoyed the activities associated with growing up in a small town. While in high school, he began to discern the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. After high school, he went to seminary and was ordained a priest. After five years, Fr. Rother received permission to join the staff at the Oklahoma diocese's mission in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. He served the native tribe of the Tz’utujil. Fr. Rother learned Spanish and the Tz’utujil language. He celebrated Mass in their language and helped translate the New Testament.
Fr. Rother was surrounded by extreme poverty among the Tz’utujil, who were living in one-room huts growing what they could on their small plots of land. He ministered to his parishioners in their homes eating with them, visiting the sick and aiding them with medical issues. He even put his farming skills to use by helping them in the fields, bringing in different crops, and building an irrigation system.
While he served in Guatemala, there was a civil war and the Catholic Church was caught in the middle due to its emphasis on catechizing and educating the people. During this conflict, thousands of Catholics were killed. For his safety, Fr. Rother returned home to Oklahoma, but didn’t stay long, as he was determined to give his life completely to his people, stating that “the shepherd cannot run.” He returned to Santiago Atitlan to continue the work of the mission.
Within a few months, he was executed. On Dec. 1, 2016, Pope Francis officially recognized Fr. Rother as a martyr for the faith. He is the first martyr from the United States and the first U.S.-born priest to be beatified. The Rite of Beatification was held on Sept. 23, 2017, in downtown Oklahoma City – an event attended by more than 20,000 people from around the world.