SW News: Preparations are going on in Oklahoma ahead of the much-awaited dedication of the shrine of the first American martyr on Feb. 17. The shrine dedicated to Blessed Stanley Rother is almost complete and the finishing touches are being given ahead of the grand opening ceremony.

The shrine complex comprises a church, pilgrim center, museum and souvenir shop. Fr Rother was a missionary priest from Oklahoma who served in Guatemala. He ministered to the poorest of the poor indigenous peoples. Apart from spreading the faith, he educated them and taught them farming and irrigation. During the civil war between government troops and guerrillas, the priest’s name appeared on a death list. On July 28, 1981, Fr Rother was killed by three men who broke into his rectory.

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma will dedicate the shrine located in the city along with Archbishop Gonzalo de Villa y Vasquez of Guatemala City. The function will be attended by hundreds of believers and religious, including the brother and sister of Blessed Rother, said Leif Arvidson, the executive director of the shrine.

According to Arvidson, the shrine will be a huge Catholic witness to the local community as it is dedicated to a priest who was born there. “He is a person that all Oklahomans can be proud of, not only Catholics but from other communities too,” he said.

The church dedicated to Bl Rother is in the Spanish colonial style which is a sign of closeness with the Guatemalan people. The museum within the complex depicts Bl Rother’s days as a young boy on the farm, his seminary days and vignettes of the rustic life in Santiago Atitlan where he served.

It was in 2007 that the cause for canonization was officially started. In June 2015, the Holy See gave the green signal for the recognition of Fr Rother as a martyr who was killed in hatred for the faith. On December 1 of the following year, Pope Francis recognized his martyrdom paving the way for his beatification on September 23, 2017. The ceremony was attended by 20,000 people from around the world.