Georgia Martyrs to be Beatified October 31, 2026, in Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA — The Most Reverend Stephen D. Parkes, Bishop of Savannah, is pleased to announce that the beatification of the Venerable Servants of God Pedro de Corpa and his Four Companions – commonly known as the Georgia Martyrs – will take place on All Hallows Eve (October 31) 2026 in Savannah, GA. Cardinal Frank Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto, will represent the Holy Father as Papal Legate and preside over the beatification liturgy. Out of the handful of beatifications to occur on American soil, this will be the first in Georgia and the first in the South. Details regarding the ceremony and associated events are forthcoming.
“Their beatification will be a date of great significance for the faithful within the Diocese of Savannah and the Archdiocese of Atlanta,” said Bishop Parkes. “The year is also noteworthy, as these Franciscan friars will be declared ‘Blessed’ while the Catholic Church honors the 800th anniversary of the death of their order’s founder, St. Francis of Assisi, in 1226.”
On January 27, 2025, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the Decree declaring that Spanish missionaries Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajóz, and Francisco de Veráscola were true martyrs for Christ, killed in odium fidei (“hatred of the faith”) on what is now the coast of Georgia in September 1597.
For more information on the Georgia Martyrs, please see TheGeorgiaMartyrs.org.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In