Five Franciscan friars killed on the Georgia coast in 1597 were declared Blessed in Savannah on Saturday. Who they were, and the thanksgiving Mass Sunday.
Five Spanish Franciscan friars killed on the Georgia coast in 1597 were beatified Saturday in Savannah. The Catholic Diocese of Savannah held the Mass of Beatification of Pedro de Corpa and Companions, known as the Georgia Martyrs, at the Savannah Convention Center on Hutchinson Island.
Beatification is the step before sainthood. It gives the five men the title “Blessed.”
The diocese said this is the first beatification in Georgia and the first in the South.
Who presided
Cardinal Frank Leo, the archbishop of Toronto, presided as papal legate, representing the pope. The diocese announced his role in April.
The friars’ own order, the Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, listed three more principal celebrants in its announcement of the rite:
- Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo
- Brother Giovangiuseppe Califano
- Minister Provincial Brother Michael Perry, named to read the martyrs’ names and biographies
Who the Georgia Martyrs were
Six Spanish Franciscans came to the Georgia coast in 1595 to serve the Guale people, according to the diocese’s history of the cause. They worked from St. Augustine, Florida. Two years later, all but one were dead.
The five beatified Saturday are:
- Pedro de Corpa, killed Sept. 14, 1597, at the Tolomato mission
- Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, killed near Darien, about 50 miles south of Savannah
- Miguel de Añón, killed Sept. 17 in the mission chapel on what is now St. Catherines Island, about 30 miles south
- Antonio de Badajoz, killed with Miguel de Añón in the same chapel
- Francisco de Veráscola, killed while traveling by canoe from St. Augustine to his mission on what is now St. Simons Island, about 65 miles south
The locations of the later deaths come from the Franciscan province’s account.
The sixth friar, Francisco de Ávila, survived. He was held and tortured for about 10 months until the governor of St. Augustine secured his release, according to the diocese’s account of the 1597 uprising.
The diocese says the killings began after Pedro de Corpa refused to permit a second marriage for Juanillo, a baptized Christian and heir to the Guale chiefdom. Juanillo killed the friar at Tolomato and then led a war party to the other missions, the diocese said. The church holds that the friars died “in hatred of the faith,” the test for martyrdom.
How the cause reached Savannah
The cause took more than 75 years. The diocese’s chronology lists the steps:
| Year | Step |
|---|---|
| 1950 | Cause formally begins |
| 1984 | Bishop Raymond W. Lessard opens the diocesan investigation |
| 2007 | Diocesan phase closes on March 16; files go to Rome |
| 2025 | Pope Francis approves the decree of martyrdom on Jan. 27 |
| 2026 | Beatification in Savannah on Oct. 31 |
When the decree was approved, Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah said he hoped the friars would inspire couples.
“May Venerable Friar Pedro de Corpa and Companions intercede for families everywhere,” Parkes said. He asked that they “inspire husbands and wives around the world to live out the sacrament of marriage with love, truth, and fidelity.”
The size of the day
The diocese said the convention center would be at capacity and expected up to 10,000, with registration required. The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce told members to expect more than 9,000 additional visitors and heavier traffic on the Talmadge Memorial Bridge.
What it means for you
- Thanksgiving Mass Sunday. Parkes celebrates a Mass of thanksgiving at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, according to the diocese’s beatification FAQ. Expect more visitors than usual in the Historic District that morning.
- Watch it back. The diocese streamed Saturday’s Mass on the Georgia Martyrs website, on diosav.org and on EWTN.
- See the places. The diocese keeps a pilgrimage guide to the coastal sites linked to the friars.
- Borrow the exhibit. A traveling museum-style exhibit on the martyrs is available to parishes, schools and groups. The Catholic Pastoral Center takes requests at 912-201-4046.
More on what is happening around town is on our things to do page.
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