Blessed Stanley Rother

Thursday's major address and Mass will be held at the newly constructed Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, located about 20 miles from the Catholic Pastoral Center.

Blessed Stanley Rother’s Life

Stanley Francis Rother was born March 27, 1935, in Okarche, Oklahoma. He was killed in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, on July 28, 1981. He was beatified in 2017.

Stanley worked on the family farm doing chores and attended school, played sports, was an altar server and enjoyed the activities associated with growing up in a small farm town.

While in high school, he began to discern a vocation to the priesthood and was ordained a priest on May 25, 1963. Father Rother served as an associate pastor for five years in Oklahoma.

He then joined the staff at the Oklahoma diocese's mission in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala where he served the native tribe of the Tz’utujil, descendants of the Mayans. Although he struggled with Latin in the seminary, Father Rother learned Spanish and the Tz’utujil language in Guatemala. Until the Diocese of Oklahoma arrived at the mission the Tz’utujil language was an unwritten language. Father Rother became so fluent in Tz’utujil he celebrated Mass in the language of his people and helped finish the translation of the New Testament into Tz’utujil.

Father 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, a civil war raged between the militarist government forces and the guerrillas that lasted 28 years. The Catholic Church was caught in the middle due to its insistence on catechizing and educating the people. During this conflict, hundreds of thousands of Catholics were killed across the country. Eventually, Father Rother’s name appeared on a death list posted in town. For his safety and that of his associate, Father Rother returned home to Oklahoma. He didn’t stay long, though, 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 by Easter of 1981.

Within a few months, three men entered the rectory around 1 a.m. on July 28, 1981, Father Rother refused to go with them, they fought with Father Rother and executed him. His death shocked the Catholic world and the United States. Father Rother was the first American priest killed in the civil war. No one was ever held responsible for Father Rother’s death.

The people of Santiago Atitlan mourned the loss of their leader and friend. They requested that Father Rother’s heart be kept in Guatemala where it remains enshrined today in the church. His body was returned to Oklahoma. From the day of his death, countless Catholics have said that Father Rother died the death of a martyr of the Catholic Church.

Blessed Stanley Rother’s Beatification

In 2007, his Cause for Canonization was opened. Then, on Dec. 1, 2016, Pope Francis officially recognized Father Rother as a martyr for the faith. He is the first declared 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.

Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine

On November 19, 2019, ground was broken for a shrine honoring Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine. The shrine church was designed in the Spanish-colonial style to pay homage to the parish of Saint James the Apostle where Blessed Stanley served in Guatemala.

Just prior to the dedication of the new shrine, the casket containing the body of Blessed Stanley Rother was moved to the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Chapel where it is placed in the altar.

On February 17, 2023 the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine was dedicated. Thousands attended the dedication Mass, filling the church and the outside grounds.

Where does the Cause Stand

What stage is the cause in now? We are waiting for a miracle. Being declared a martyr for the Catholic Church, Blessed Stanley Rother only needs one miracle. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is asking for people to pray for Blessed Stanley Rother’s intersection. If you have a miracle/story to report please visit https://archokc.org/rothermiracle and submit your story to the Archdiocese.

Blessed Stanley Rother, Pray For us!

More Information
For prayers for the canonization and the intersection prayer for Blessed Stanley Rother you can visit: https://archokc.org/prayers-for-blessed-stanley-rother

For more info on Blessed Stanley Rother, the shrine or his cause visit: https://archokc.org/stanleyrother

Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/RotherShrine

Movie
An Ordinary Martyr—The Life and Death of Blessed Stanley Rother An Ordinary Martyr
This short film captures the heart, devotion and resolution of Blessed Stanley Rother and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his faith. Free to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hsOvNtoZVzc?si=FI0fstUw97tUw-Xi