Esqueda Ramírez, Pedro, St.
ESQUEDA RAMÍREZ, PEDRO, ST.
Martyr, priest; b. Apr. 29, 1887, San Juan de Los Lago, Jalisco, Mexico; d. Nov. 22, 1927, San Miguel el Alto, near Teocaltitlán. Pedro Esqueda, a precocious child, began his formal education at age four. He entered the seminary of Guadalajara (1902), which was seized and closed before he completed his studies. Returning to his home parish, he served as a deacon until his ordination was arranged in 1916 at which time he was named pastor. His passion for catechesis inspired Pedro to found several centers for training catechists. When the persecution of the Church worsened in 1926, Pedro went into hiding, moving from house to house until he was captured in hiding by federales on Nov. 18, 1927. They beat the priest, held him incommunicado in the abbey, tortured him for the next few days, and shot him in Teocaltitlán. He was both beatified (Nov. 22, 1992) and canonized (May 21, 2000) with Cristobal magallanes [see guadalajara (mexico), martyrs of, ss.] by Pope John Paul II.
Feast: May 25 (Mexico).
Bibliography: j. cardoso, Los mártires mexicanos (Mexico City 1953). j. dÍaz estrella, El movimiento cristero: sociedad y conflicto en los Altos de Jalisco (México, D.F. 1979).
[k. i. rabenstein]