Mexico

Leave a comment February 3, 2017 Larry Peterson

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

The damnable and malevolent Cristero War was officially considered ended in 1929. But that did not signal the end of the torture, murder and martyrdom of Catholic religious and lay-persons in Mexico. The following happened in July of 1931 but first a bit of background.

Dario Acosta Zurita was born on December 13, 1908 in the town of Naolinco in the Mexican state of Vera Cruz. He was one of four boys and had one sister. His dad was a butcher and the family, like most other families in the area, struggled to make ends meet. Dario, like his siblings, was baptized in the local church of St. Matthew and it was his mom who was his catechist as he grew up.

Dario was well behaved, did what he was supposed to and was a relatively quiet boy. When his dad died the family fell into extreme poverty. Dario was forced to find work to help support the family. In his young heart he he had been hearing the calling to the priesthood but he thought he would never be able to answer it. However, God must have had Dario on His radar screen.

Blessed Dario Acosta Zurita

Not long after his father’s passing Bishop Rafael Guizar y Valencia, ( an entire story unto himself–coming soon) visited Vera Cruz. He was looking for potential seminarians and Dario expressed his desire to become a priest. The bishop (who at one time had to disguise himself as a junkman because there was an order in place for him to be shot on site) told Dario that his responsibility to his mom and siblings superseded his personal wants. In addition, Dario was too young. The bishop told him to pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe for help and guidance.

Dario’s mom knew of this and traveled to Xalapa to see the bishop. She pleaded with Bishop Guizar y Valencia to reconsider. Our Lady must have been in the room that day because the bishop relented and gave permission for Dario to enter the seminary. The young man won his superiors and class mates over with his kindness, charitable persona and his devotion to his faith. In addition, Dario was an excellent athlete and became captain of the seminary football team.

Dario Acosta Zurita became Father Angel Dario Acosta Zurita on April 25, 1931. The new priest was only 22 years old. He celebrated his first Mass in Vera Cruz on May 24 and began serving as a parochial vicar at the Parish of the Assumption in Vera Cruz. Father Dario was very dedicated to teaching the children catechism (adults too) and he loved being able to hear confessions.

At the same time, the Governor of Vera Cruz, Adalberto Tejeda, decided that he was “sick of the religious fanaticism of the people”. He issued a decree called the “Tejeda Law” which basically banned all priests from administering to their parishioners. Mass was banned, catechism classes were halted and confessions were forbidden. All priests in the diocese were notified by numbered letter advising them they MUST obey the “Tejeda Law”.

However, the priests in the area had gotten together on July 21st and agreed that their responsibility was not to the government but to their priesthood and their faith. The decided that they would not obey the satanic inspired “Tejeda Law”.

The law took effect on Saturday, July 25, 1931. It was sometime after 5 p.m. that afternoon the children began arriving for catechism classes at Assumption Parish while people began getting in line for confession. Three priests were in the church. Father Landa, Father Rosas and Father Dario who was in the baptistry. Suddenly, a little after 6 p.m., the three church doors to the church burst open and soldiers charged into the church.

These men opened fire on the priests. Father Landa was gravely wounded. Father Rosas survived by hiding behind the pulpit. Father Dario, upon hearing the gunfire, rushed from the baptistry. His body was riddled with bullets. He fell into the sanctuary as all the children and adults watched in horror. Father’s last word before he died was , “JESUS!”

Father Dario Acosta Zurita was only 22 years old when he was martyred. He had been a priest for exactly three months.

Father Zurita was beatified and declared “Blessed” on November 20, 2005. The ceremony took place in front of thousands of the faithful at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins presided under the authority of Pope Benedict XVI.

Blessed Angel Dario Acosta Zurita–Please pray for us all

See edited version in Aleteia Jan 25, 2017

Leave a comment July 16, 2014 Larry Peterson

“IT MAKES SENSE TO ME”

by Larry Peterson

We Catholics talk to, request help from, ask of, beseech, and sometimes even plead with our honored dead for their help in certain situations. This is also known as praying. We believe that praying to the saints and asking for their help with a problem is perfectly okay. We pray to them to help the sick, to assist those out of work in finding a job, for the poor, our friends and family, help with finances, and for all sorts of things over which we feel we have no control. We believe that since they are in heaven and have God’s ear, they can put in a “good word” for us. It is like we are having our request hand-delivered to God Himself by one of His special people. The saints are our friends in heaven and they are always ready to help us out. WE just have to ask. Trust me, it works, it really does. If you are non-catholic and think we are a bit whacky, so be it. This is a FAITH thing and you can take a look here for more information about our saints.

Anyway, I am sending out this plea that everyone might pray (Catholic and non-Catholics too) to Mother Antonia Brenner (click on her name), a lady who is known as the “Prison Angel”. The prayers are for the well-being and quick release of Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, the American Marine held prisoner in Mexico since March 31 of this year. His crime: he made a wrong turn and crossed the Mexican border. (Click his name to see his story).

The United States government has made little, if any, effort, to secure the young man’s release. Sergeant Tahmooressi has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, has been wounded in action and suffers from PTSD. Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren has been waging a ongoing battle reporting about this over and over, seemingly to no avail. She has even made trips to the border crossing, driven it herself and shown how easy it is to wind up in Mexico purely by mistake. Over 150,00 people have signed petitions to gain his release yet the Mexican government refuses to so much as acknowledge we Americans. This is a disgrace. So I thought—we all need to pray to Mother Antonia. Time for us to call on the “Prison Angel”.

Mother Antonia Brenner was born in Beverly Hills, California in 1926. Her name was Mary Clarke. She was married and divorced twice and raised seven children while living in Beverly Hills. She said that in 1969 she had a dream that she was at Calvary about to be executed when Jesus appeared to her. He told her He was going to take her place. She touched Him on the cheek and told Him she would never leave Him no matter what might happen to her. It was this dream that set her on a journey devoting her life to Christ and His Church.

Mary Clarke began her ministry by delivering medicine, clothing, blankets and food to La Mesa Prison in Tijuana, one of the worst prisons in Mexico. In 1977, after her kids were grown, she received permission and moved into La Mesa (the same prison Sgt. Tahmooressi was sent to). As an older, divorced woman she was unable to join any religious order. So she made her own makeshift habit and began working on her own. This led to her founding the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour, an order for older women who had a calling to a vocation later in life. Eventually approval for her order was given by the Church. Mother Antonia lived in La Mesa, in a cell, just like the prisoners, and she lived there for over thirty five years.

Through the years Mother Antonia, who became known as “La Mama” and “The Prison Angel”, ministered to thousands of inmates holding the faces of many of the dying in her hands just as she had promised Jesus in her dream. She stopped riots, worked with the sick and dying and lived her life in poverty, a far cry from the life of the well-to-do Beverly Hills socialite she had been. Mother Antonia passed away on October 17, 2013. She was 86. I believe that one day she will be canonized a saint. In my heart of hearts I know she has attained her heavenly reward and that now, Jesus, holds her face in His hands.

Anyway, that is the reason I thought that maybe we should ask Mother Antonia to help get Sgt. Tahmooressi released. He is imprisoned in the world she devoted her life to. She understands what he is going through. So I ask that you choose your own way of praying and ask Mother to ask God to keep Andrew safe and healthy and that he experience the love of God in his life and FEEL the prayers of so many of his fellow Americans wanting him to be set free. Prayer is the most powerful weapon to secure kindness and justice that we possess. Time to use as much of that weapon as we can. Mother Antonia, we all ask you to help Andrew in his struggle to be free. Please pray for him. He needs all the help he can get. Amen.