The White House has honoured the legacy of Blessed Stanley Rother on the 45th anniversary of his martyrdom in Guatemala, saying that his life and death are "the fruits of America's rich tradition of religious liberty".
"Today, Melania and I join with American Catholics and people of faith all across the world in honoring the towering legacy of Father Stanley Rother—an Oklahoma farm boy, the first American-born martyr beatified by the Catholic Church, and a champion of human dignity who heroically laid down his life to bring the light of Jesus Christ to a people plagued by horrific darkness," said the July 28 presidential message.
Rother, President Donald Trump said, was "instilled with a proud Oklahoma work ethic of faith, discipline, duty, and sacrifice". His priestly motto, the president noted, came from "the words of the legendary Saint Augustine: 'For myself I am a Christian, for the benefit of others I am a priest.'"
"Until his very last breath, these are the words that would animate his life and priestly ministry," Trump said.
The president recounted how Rother entered the mission field in 1968, travelling to "the war-torn highlands of Guatemala", where he ministered to Catholics despite knowing the dangers he faced. During his years in Guatemala, Rother preached the Gospel, translated Scripture into the local language, helped build a school and a hospital, and established the area's first Catholic radio station, Trump said.
After a time, Rother's "intrepid pastoral and humanitarian work emerged as a threat to the authoritarian Guatemalan regime", Trump said, prompting the priest to return temporarily to Oklahoma for his safety.
"But even despite overwhelming and immediate dangers, Father Rother insisted on returning to Guatemala only months later, refusing to abandon his flock in their hour of need," Trump said.
Rother was killed at about 1 a.m. on July 28, 1981, when three masked men broke into his rectory and shot him twice in the head. He was 46.
Since his martyrdom, Rother has "stood as a living testament to the power of courage, sacrificial service, and fidelity to God", Trump said. He became the first American-born martyr to be beatified by the Catholic Church in 2017.
"The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City now stands as a major site of pilgrimages, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors. He has inspired widespread devotion among Catholics. He remains a source of immeasurable pride for his beloved home state of Oklahoma. And every day, countless priests, pastors, chaplains, and spiritual leaders faithfully look to Father Rother as they strive to carry out his immortal legacy of fortitude, charity, humility, service, generosity, and perseverance," Trump said.
The United States would "recommit to remaining vigilant so that our birthright of freedom endures in the face of every trial" in honour of Rother's martyrdom, the president said.
"We acknowledge with deep pride that America's missionary zeal and generous spirit were, are, and will continue to be among the greatest forces of peace, justice, and flourishing in human history. Above all, we pray that every soul of faith, every lover of freedom, and every seeker of truth will forever remember the name and treasure the story of Father Stanley Rother."
