The Martyrdom of Saint Toribio Romo

This booklet chronicles the life of Toribio Romo, a victim of persecution of the Church in Mexico in the 20th century. He was murdered in 1920, and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. The story reconstructs the world in which he lived and examines the tumultuous relationship between church and state in Mexico at that time. It is a story of courage in the face of terrorism and an example of how persecution usually makes the Church stronger.

His story is interesting for anyone unaware of what Mexican Catholics suffered not so many years ago. It is of particular interest to Northern California Catholics because some 300 of the saint's relatives live in the Sacramento area, and a relic of the saint is enshrined in the altar of the newly restored Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament--the only such example in the U.S.