Georgia Martyrs to be Beatified October 31, 2026, in Savannah, GA<\/strong><\/p>\n Savannah, GA \u2014 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 \u2013 commonly known as the Georgia Martyrs \u2013 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.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir beatification will be a date of great significance for the faithful within the Diocese of Savannah and the Archdiocese of Atlanta,\u201d said Bishop Parkes. \u201cThe year is also noteworthy, as these Franciscan friars will be declared \u2018Blessed\u2019 while the Catholic Church honors the 800th anniversary of the death of their order\u2019s founder, St. Francis of Assisi, in 1226.\u201d<\/p>\n On January 27, 2025, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the Decree declaring that Spanish missionaries Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodr\u00edguez, Miguel de A\u00f1on, Antonio de Badaj\u00f3z, and Francisco de Ver\u00e1scola were true martyrs for Christ, killed in odium fidei (\u201chatred of the faith\u201d) on what is now the coast of Georgia in September 1597.<\/p>\n