Georgia Martyrs

The Georgia Martyrs are five Spanish Franciscans murdered in September 1597 "in hatred of the faith" while conducting missionary work in Spanish Florida. Their particular mission took place in what is now the State of Georgia. As of January 2025, they have been formally declared martyrs by the Catholic Church and are set to be beatified.

Spanish missions in Florida began with the earliest settlement in Florida, St. Augustine. Thus, the Spanish Franciscan missionaries operated based out of this city. By 1597, the Franciscans had learned the local language of the Guale people and began to convert them, without military presence.

One of the main concerns with the evangelization of this region was reconciling the local culture's position on marriage (which allowed polygamy) and the Catholic Church's position on marriage (which believes marriage is between one man and one woman exclusively). It was ultimately this issue which led to the death of the friars.

(Note: None of their full birth names are known. Only their religious names are recorded.)

Pedro de Corpa was born circa 1560 in Corpa, near Alcalá. He joined the Franciscan Order around 1577 and was likely ordained around 1584. On July 21, 1587, Pedro and twelve other friars (including Antonio de Badajoz) set sail from San Lúcar de Barrameda and again from Havana on September 29, arriving at St. Augustine on October 5. Pedro was assigned to work at Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato. He was the first to be martyred on September 14, 1597.

Blas Rodríguez was born in the 1550s in Cuacos de Yuste, Cáceres. In the early to mid-1570s, he joined the Franciscans and was ordained sometime in the 1580s. On May 17, 1590, he was approved to be sent to the New World and was assigned to Tupiqui. Those who killed Pedro then went to kill Blas. Before being executed on September 16, 1597, he was allowed to celebrate a final Mass and preach:

My sons, for me it is not difficult to die. Even if you do not cause it, the death of this body is inevitable. We must be ready at all times, for we, all of us, have to die someday. But what does pain me is that the Evil One has persuaded you to do this offensive thing against your God and Creator. It is a further source of deep grief to me that you are unmindful of what we missionaries have done for you in teaching you the way to eternal life and happiness.

— Blas Rodríguez, quoted by Luis Gerónimo de Oré, The Martyrs of Florida