Stanley Rother facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BlessedStanley F. Rother |
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Stanley Rother, 1975
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| Martyr | |
| Born | Stanley Francis Rother March 27, 1935 Okarche, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | July 28, 1981 (aged 46) Santiago Atitlán, Sololá, Guatemala |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | September 23, 2017, Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, United States by Cardinal Angelo Amato (on behalf of Pope Francis) |
| Major shrine | Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Feast | July 28 |
| Attributes | Palm Branch, Tz'utujil New Testament, Colorful Tz'utujil-style Stole |
Stanley Francis Rother (ROH-thər; March 27, 1935 – July 28, 1981) was an American Catholic priest from Oklahoma. He was killed in Guatemala in 1981 while serving as a missionary priest. He had worked there since 1968. Before this, he served in different churches in Oklahoma from 1963 to 1968.
On December 1, 2016, Pope Francis confirmed that Rother had died as a martyr, meaning he was killed because of his faith. He was then honored in a special ceremony called beatification on September 23, 2017, in Oklahoma City. He is the first priest born in the U.S. to be beatified by the Catholic Church.
Contents
Who Was Stanley Rother?
Early Life and Education
Stanley Francis Rother was born on March 27, 1935, in Okarche, Oklahoma. He was one of four children born to Franz and Gertrude Rother, who were farmers. He was baptized in his hometown church just two days after he was born. His sister, Betty Mae, later became a nun, taking the name Sister Marita.
Stanley was a strong person and good at farm work. After finishing high school, he decided he wanted to become a priest. He studied at two seminaries, which are schools for training priests. During his studies, he helped with many tasks like gardening and fixing things. He faced some challenges with his studies, especially with Latin.
After talking with his bishop, Stanley went to another seminary in Maryland. He graduated from there in 1963. On May 25, 1963, he officially became a priest. He served in several churches around Oklahoma before asking to be sent to a mission in Guatemala in 1968.
Serving in Guatemala
Stanley Rother was sent to serve the Tz'utujil people in Santiago Atitlán, a rural area in southwest Guatemala. To connect better with the local people, he learned both Spanish and the Tz’utujil language. The Tz'utujil language was not written down, so he helped record it.
He served in Santiago Atitlán from 1968 until his death. He helped run a radio station that taught daily lessons in language and math. By 1973, he was able to preach in Tz'utujil. He also translated parts of the New Testament into Tz'utujil and started holding church services in their language. In the late 1960s, he helped start a small hospital called the "Hospitalito" in the area.
By 1975, Father Rother became the main leader of the mission. People in the community knew him well. They affectionately called him "Padre Apla's" (Father Francis) because there was no Tz'utujil word for "Stanley."
Challenges and Final Days
In the last year of his life, Father Rother saw many difficult things happen. The mission's radio station was destroyed, and its director was killed. Some of the people he worked with and served disappeared or were found dead. These people had been beaten and tortured. Father Rother knew about these dangers when he returned to Guatemala in May 1981.
In December 1980, he wrote a letter to people in Oklahoma explaining the dangerous situation. He said, "This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger." This showed his strong commitment to his community.
In early 1981, Father Rother was warned that he was on a list of people targeted by violent groups. He was told to leave Guatemala for his safety. He reluctantly returned to Oklahoma in January. While there, he celebrated Easter with his family and friends. He then decided to return to Santiago Atitlán in April, knowing he was being watched.
On July 28, 1981, after midnight, armed men broke into Father Rother's home. They forced a teenager who was in the church to show them Father Rother's bedroom. The men threatened the teenager, so he led them to the room. Father Rother opened the door, and a struggle happened. The teenager escaped, and Father Rother was shot.
Father Rother was one of ten priests killed in Guatemala that year. His body was flown back to Oklahoma and buried there. However, at the request of his former parishioners in Guatemala, his heart was removed and buried under the altar of the church in Santiago Atitlán.
Three men were arrested for his murder. They said they had tried to rob the church and shot Father Rother when he tried to stop them. However, many people who knew the situation believed these men were not truly responsible. They thought the arrests were a way to hide who was really behind the murder. The convictions of the three men were later overturned. No other suspects have been found guilty for Father Rother’s death.
Becoming a Blessed Saint
The process to recognize Father Rother as a saint began in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. This process involves a detailed investigation into the person's life and death. The investigation officially started on October 5, 2007, and finished on July 20, 2010. On November 25, 2009, Father Rother was given the title "Servant of God," which is the first step toward sainthood.
Church officials reviewed all the information gathered. On December 1, 2016, Pope Francis approved Father Rother's beatification. This meant the Pope confirmed that Father Rother was killed "in odium fidei" (meaning "in hatred of the faith").
Father Rother was beatified on September 23, 2017, in Oklahoma City. Cardinal Angelo Amato led the special church service on behalf of the Pope. About 20,000 people attended the beatification Mass.
A church in Decatur, Arkansas, has since been named after him. It is the first Catholic church in the world dedicated to Blessed Stanley Rother.
Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine
In 2019, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City began building the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine. This is a new church and ministry complex in Oklahoma City. It is the largest Catholic Church in the state of Oklahoma.
On February 17, 2023, the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine officially opened with a special dedication Mass. A chapel inside the shrine is the final resting place for Father Rother. The shrine also has a museum, a main church area, a gift shop, and a visitor center. The design of the shrine is in the Spanish Colonial style. It looks similar to the church where Father Rother served and was killed in Guatemala. The shrine was built with donations from Catholic supporters and has no debt.
See also
- Guatemalan Civil War
