Saint Pedro Esqueda Ramírez

Pedro Esqueda (1887–1927) was born in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, entered the seminary of Guadalajara at fifteen and was ordained in 1916. As vicar of his hometown parish he loved teaching the faith to children and trained catechists. When public worship was banned during the Cristero War, he stayed with his people, celebrating Mass and the sacraments in secret. He was arrested by soldiers, tortured, and shot near Teocaltitán on November 22, 1927.

Saint John Paul II canonized him in 2000 with Saint Cristóbal Magallanes and other Mexican martyrs, who share a feast on May 21. His remains are kept in the Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos, home of the beloved Virgen de San Juan.