Today, Melania and I join with American Catholics and people of faith all across the world in honoring the towering legacy of Father Stanley Rother—an Oklahoma farm boy, the first American-born martyr beatified by the Catholic Church, and a champion of human dignity who heroically laid down his life to bring the light of Jesus Christ to a people plagued by horrific darkness.

Born in the heart of Oklahoma in 1935, Father Rother was ordained a Roman Catholic priest at the age of 28.  Instilled with a proud Oklahoma work ethic of faith, discipline, duty, and sacrifice, upon his ordination, he adopted as his motto the words of the legendary Saint Augustine:  “For my benefit I am a Christian, for the benefit of others I am a priest.”  Until his very last breath, these are the words that would animate his life and priestly ministry.

In 1968, just years after his ordination, Father Rother answered God’s call to missionary life, departing the United States for the war-torn highlands of Guatemala, then ravaged by conflict.  Though thousands of Catholics were forcibly disappeared and viciously murdered during the Guatemalan Civil War, Father Rother nonetheless spent 13 years bringing the Gospel to those devastated by poverty and violence—translating sacred Scripture and helping to build a school, a hospital, and the region’s first Catholic radio station—fearlessly embodying Christ’s commission to “make disciples of all nations.”

Eventually, his intrepid pastoral and humanitarian work emerged as a threat to the authoritarian Guatemalan regime.  More than a decade into his ministry, his name appeared on a hit list—prompting him to seek temporary refuge in his native Oklahoma.  But even despite overwhelming and immediate dangers, Father Rother insisted on returning to Guatemala only months later, refusing to abandon his flock in their hour of need.  “The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger,” he wrote in a 1980 letter.

Forty-five years ago today, around 1:00 A.M. on July 28, 1981, three masked men entered Father Rother’s rectory and shot him twice in the head—executing him in cold blood.  He was 46 years old.

In the nearly half-century since, in the aftermath of the tragedy that took his life, Father Rother has stood as a living testament to the power of courage, sacrificial service, and fidelity to God.  In 2017, he became the first American-born martyr to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.  The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City now stands as a major site of pilgrimages, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.  He has inspired widespread devotion among Catholics.  He remains a source of immeasurable pride for his beloved home state of Oklahoma.  And every day, countless priests, pastors, chaplains, and spiritual leaders faithfully look to Father Rother as they strive to carry out his immortal legacy of fortitude, charity, humility, service, generosity, and perseverance.

Today, we are reminded that Father Rother’s life and martyrdom are the fruits of America’s rich tradition of religious liberty.  In his honor, we recommit to remaining vigilant so that our birthright of freedom endures in the face of every trial.  We acknowledge with deep pride that America’s missionary zeal and generous spirit were, are, and will continue to be among the greatest forces of peace, justice, and flourishing in human history.  Above all, we pray that every soul of faith, every lover of freedom, and every seeker of truth will forever remember the name and treasure the story of Father Stanley Rother.