Christian World | The Diocese of Savannah says five Franciscan friars killed in 1597 will be beatified on Saturday, October 31, in a Mass led by Cardinal Frank Leo

ACW | October 30, 2026 — The Catholic Diocese of Savannah in the US state of Georgia says five Spanish Franciscan friars will be declared "blessed" at a beatification Mass on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

The official Georgia Martyrs website says the liturgy begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Savannah Convention Center. The diocese says registrations far exceeded capacity and that people who did not register will likely be turned away.

In an announcement dated April 14, 2026, the diocese said Cardinal Frank Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, will preside as the representative of Pope Leo XIV. The Mass will be streamed live on the website and on EWTN.

The friars are Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajoz and Francisco de Veráscola. The website says Pedro de Corpa was killed on September 14, 1597, and that the other friars were killed at the Guale mission settlements on the Georgia coast.

Background: According to the diocese, Pope Francis authorized a decree on January 27, 2025, recognizing the five as martyrs killed "in odium fidei", out of hatred for the faith. Bishop Stephen D. Parkes called the date "a date of great significance for the faithful" of the diocese.

Why it matters: According to the Diocese of Savannah, the Mass is the Catholic Church's formal recognition of five missionaries killed for their faith, 429 years after their deaths.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Diocese of Savannah — Georgia Martyrs to be beatified October 31, 2026; The Georgia Martyrs (official website)

Photo: Diocese of Savannah