The Catholic Patriotic Minute #69: The Georgia Martyrs
Catholics For Catholics Special Edition | November 3rd, 2026
The Georgia Martyrs: The Franciscan Friars Who Died for Their Faith
On October 31, 2026, the Georgia Martyrs– Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola–were beatified.
Before Protestants settled the English colonies, the Jesuits and Franciscans established missions in the Spanish colony La Florida, which included present-day Georgia as well as Florida. By 1595, six Franciscan friars served the Guale natives at five missions along Georgia’s coast.
Most of the Guale converted to Catholicism. The absence of a military among the Franciscans and Guale exhibited the peace that persisted among them. The sense of unity between the Franciscans and natives was upended by a disagreement between one of the martyrs, Friar Pedro de Corpa, and his murderer, don Juanillo.
Friar Pedro was assigned to the mission at Tolomato. Born in Villabilla, Spain, most likely in the year 1560, Friar Pedro had entered the Franciscan Order in the Province of Castile and was ordained to the priesthood around the year 1584. Selected by Friar Alonso de Reinoso, Friar Pedro and eleven other friars left Spain for the missions in La Florida in 1587. Friar Antonio de Badajoz, another martyr, was also among these twelve recruited friars.
Their last full day at sea was the feast of Saint Francis. On October 5, 1587, the Franciscans arrived at St. Augustine. Friar Pedro served at missions in the region of St. Augustine before his assignment at the mission in Tolomato in Georgia. Known as a fervent and devoted missionary, Friar Pedro evangelized the Guale natives in Tolomato well because he could converse in their language.
Friar Alonso Gregorio de Escobedo mentioned Friar Pedro de Corpa in his epic poem, La Florida. Of Friar Pedro, his writing translates to,
Poverty was his favorite virtue. He admired the chaste and holy angelic choir and he was submissive to his bishop or superior, always demonstrating his obedience by quickly obeying all orders. Being a wise and holy man, the love of God burned in his heart, and by means of prayer, abstinence and self-discipline he gave [a] good example to the Indians of the West (New World) whom he strove to convert.
Don Juanillo–the heir to the office of mico major, that is, the head of the chiefdom–was planning to marry a second wife, as was tradition among the Guale natives.But, Juanillo was also a baptized Catholic. Friar Pedro de Corpa prohibited him from this second marriage.
Furious, Juanillo gathered a “war party” and killed the Franciscan friar on September 14, 1597, as he was getting ready for Sunday Mass. Don Juanillo and his war party proceeded to travel to each mission to murder the remaining Franciscan friars.
Friar Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos was assigned to the mission at Tupiqui–the closest one to Friar Pedro’s mission. Friar Blas was born between the years 1550 and 1560 in Cuacos, Spain. Belonging to the Alcantarina Province of the Friars Minor (Franciscans) of San Gabriel, Friar Blas arrived in La Florida in 1590.
By the time Don Juanillo’s war party made it to Tupiqui, Friar Blas had finished celebrating his last Mass. They seized him and forced him to watch his chapel burn to the ground. They killed Friar Blas on September 16, 1597, and made their way to Mission Santa Catalina de Guale, where Friars Miguel de Añon and Antonio de Badajoz were assigned.
Friar Miguel was ordained a priest of the Friars Minor (Franciscans) of Castile in Spain before arriving in La Florida in 1595. He was well-liked among the Guaele people, all who were drawn to the friar for his singing-voice. He served alongside Friar Antonio on present-day St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia, tasked to restore the mission, which once belonged to the Jesuits, and to convert souls.
Friar Antonio– a lay religious of Alcantarina Province of the Friars Minor (Franciscans) of San Gabriel–was born and raised in La Albuera, Spain. Friar Antonio landed in La Florida in 1587 alongside Friar Pedro. His ten years as a missionary in La Florida made him well-versed in the Guale language. As Friar Escobedo, the poet-priest, wrote, Friar Antonio, “desired to dedicate his soul to God and win the martyr’s palm and golden wreath.”
On September 17, 1597, the rebels landed on their island. Friar Miguel had said Mass, and both friars prayed for their last four hours of life before the war party made it to their chapel. In fact, the local chief had warned the friars of the rebels’ plans, but Friars Miguel and Antonio would not leave their mission.
Friar Antonio, who was praying the Rosary up until his last moment, was murdered first by the rebels. While they seemed to pause before killing Friar Migues, one or two unbaptized natives ended the friar’s life without their mob. Friars Miguel and Antonio were martyred on the feast of the Stigmata of Saint Francis.
Don Juanillo and the rebels made their way to the mission at Asao, where Friar Francisco de Veráscola evangelized and lived. A part of the Franciscan Province of Cantabria, Friar Francisco was born in Gordejuela, Spain, on February 13, 1564, and he was ordained a priest in 1590. Friar Francisco landed in La Florida in 1595. He was the youngest missionary serving the Guale people, as he was in his early thirties.
Often, Friar Francisco played in physical activities with the natives. Of Francisco, Friar Escobedo, the poet-priest, wrote, “Our friend from Vizcaya vanquished many Indians wrestling with them in bodily contact and in throwing the spear at great distance.” Travelling back to Asao after retaining supplies in St. Augustine, Friar Francisco was murdered by the rebels upon his arrival.
Don Juanillo and his war party killed all the Franciscans friars in present-day Georgia apart from one. Friar Francisco de Ávila survived only because his captors kept him for ten months before the governor of St. Augustine freed him. Friar Francisco de Ávila declined to give witness testimony against his captors during their trials because death would be their punishment if he did.
On January 27, 2025, the Holy Father allowed the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to honor and recognize the martyrdom of Franciscan missionaries Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola because they were killed “in hatred of the faith.” The beautification of Georgia Martyrs will take place on October 31, 2026, in Savannah, Georgia.
The Bishop of Savannah noted, “The year [2026] 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.”
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