Venerable Servants of God Pedro de Corpa and Companions

1600s

• 1605

  Initial information gathered by the Cause for Beatification indicates that Spanish Missions were reestablished among the Guale, and an investigation about the Franciscan deaths was pursued. (from “Five 16th-Century Franciscans Considered for Beatification,” in the Savannah News-Press, 12/7/1980)

  Other history indicates that the Catholic Bishop of Havana visits the Province of Spanish Georgia and confirms 2,074 Indians practicing the Catholic faith. (from “Stephens Mitchell Outlines Spanish Missions’ History,” in The Bulletin of the Catholic Laymen’s Association, 6/26/1937)

• 4/11–13/1606

  Bishop Cabeza de Altamirano of Cuba/Florida reaches Cumberland Island. Over the next two days he confirms the work of pastor Fr. Baltazar Lopez who is ministering to 308 persons including 4 chiefs at Cumberland and San Pedro. He also confirms the work of Fr. Diego Delgado, pastor to 262 Indians at Talaxe and 208 including Chief Tuguepi (head of the Salchiches) at the mission of Tolomato. (from “Spanish Missions Subject of U of Georgia Work,” The Bulletin of the Catholic Laymen’s Association, 2/29/1936)

• 4/30/1606

  Bishop Cabeza de Altamirano visits St. Catherine’s Island and finds 286 active Catholic Indians and confirms a number of others on his return to St. Augustine. The number of confirmed is estimated at 1,652 for the state of Georgia at the time. from “Spanish Missions Subject of U of Georgia Work,” The Bulletin of the Catholic Laymen’s Association, 2/29/1936)

• 1612

  The definitors (councilors) of the Franciscan Custody of Sta. Elena (FL & Cuba) write to the King that the 5 missionaries were martyred because of the monogamy teaching. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957 & “Five 16th-Century Franciscans Considered for Beatification,” in the Savannah News-Press, 12/7/1980)
• 1614

  Rev. Luis Geronimo de Oré, OFM arrives in Florida to conduct his first ecclesiastical inspection. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)
• 1616

  Rev. Luis Geronimo de Oré, OFM arrives in Florida to conduct his second ecclesiastical inspection. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)

• c. 1617–1620

  Rev. Luis Geronimo de Oré’s chronicle, The Martyrs of Florida, published. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)

• 1680–1684

  Dr. David Hurst Thomas believes Mission Sta Catalina de Guale (St. Catherines’ Island) is abandoned. (from “Five 16th-Century Franciscans Considered for Beatification,” in the Savannah News-Press, 12/7/1980)
• 1686

  Information gathered during research on for the Beatification indicates that by this year, most of the Spanish Missions were abandoned due to English influence. (from “Past…Spanish Missions Tell the Tale,” in the Southern Cross, 1/27/1983)

1700s

• 1703

  All Spanish influence in Georgia is lost due to war and English asserting their power over the region. (from “Stephens Mitchell Outlines Spanish Missions’ History,” in The Bulletin of the Catholic Laymen’s Association, 6/26/1937)
• 1733

  The Colony of Georgia is established.

• 1763

  The area known as “La Florida” ceded to England by the Spanish.

• 1776

  The United States of America separate from the British Government

• 1783

  The American War with England ends.

1800s

• 1850

  The Diocese of Savannah is erected out of the Diocese of Charleston.
• 1857

  Eastern Florida became a “vicariate.”
• 1871

  A brochure from the Tolomato Cemetery says that Bishop Verot, the new bishop of St. Augustine, sails to Havana and returns with some original Spanish records of St. Augustine, including a list of sacraments dispensed. (from Tolomato Cemetery pamphlet, June 1976)

1900s

• 1936

  Dr. John Lanning (Duke University) publishes The Spanish Missions of Georgia (UGA: Athens, 1936) detailing the investigation and visit to the Georgia coast of Cuban Bishop Cabeza de Altamirano (Cuba/Florida). (from “Spanish Missions Subject of U of Georgia Work,” Southern Cross, 2/29/1936)
• 1937

  Mary Ross of Brunswick publishes her research, which is cataloged in the Georgia State Archives. She credits Menendez de Aviles as the founder of St. Catherine’s Island in April of 1566. She also indicates that he found two presidios (forts) at San Augustin (St. Augustine, FL) and Sta Elena (St. Helena Island, SC) with outposts and settlers in between. After establishing headquarters at Sta Catalina, the Spanish go on to fortify other missions and presidios on Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, Sapelo Island and Edisto Island, as well as the mainland. She indicates that Fr. Alonso Reynoso, OFM and the rest of the Franciscans take up the missions and education of the Guale. (from “Ross Traced Spanish Settlers,” from the Savannah News-Press, 7/10/1977)

  ---

  Stephen Mitchell (president of the Atlanta Bar Association and, among other positions, member of the historical committee for the Catholic Laymen’s Association) delivers a radio address on WSB Atlanta crediting St. Mary’s as first being occupied in 1566 by Spaniards and suggests that it is one of the oldest continually occupied locations by Western Europeans on the GA coast.

  He also names and describes the locations of some of the Spanish missions:

  • San Domingo de Talaxe – South bank of the Altamaha, north of Brunswick, on the plantation of Mr. Cator Woolford of Atlanta. Mitchell indicates the presence of ruins in 1937.
  • Tolamata Mission – founded in 1595 on Pease Creek in McIntosh Co, NE of Darien. Mitchell indicates the presence of ruins in a hog pasture in 1937.
  • Mission San Jose de Yapala – located on Sapalo Island on the plantation of Mr. Howard Coffin. Mitchell indicates ruins visible in 1937.
  • Mission Sta Maria – is located in what was, in 1937, Camden Co near St. Mary’s on a hunting preserve owned by Mr. James C. Wilson of Louisville, KY.
  • Sta Catalina Mission – Mitchell indicates that there was no mission located on St. Catherine’s Island, though this was possibly a typo in the newspaper
  • Buenaventura Mission – Mitchell believes it stood either near Brunswick or on Jekyll Island.
  • San Pedro Mocamo – Mitchell places this on Cumberland Island.

  From “Stephens Mitchell Outlines Spanish Missions’ History,” in The Bulletin of the Catholic Laymen’s Association, 6/26/1937

• 11/1939

  During the US Bishop’s Annual Meeting in Washington, Most Rev. John Mark Gannon (Diocese of Erie, PA) of the Committee on the Cause of the Martyrs of the US introduced a resolution to petition the Holy See to receive one Cause for Canonization, “for the early missionaries who were put to death for the find in…the United States territory…” (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)
• 1941

  Hierarchy submitted a petition to the Holy Father to beatify 118 missionaries – among them the five Franciscan Martyrs of Georgia – who had given their lives for the Faith.
• 1947

  Father Mathias Faust is named Procurator General of the Order of Friars Minor. Stationed in Rome, he facilitates canonization causes for that order.
• 7/11/1950

  Pedro de Corpa and his companions are singled out for a possible separate cause and Rev. Marion Habig, OFM is appointed as Pro-Postulator for the Cause of the Five Franciscan Martyrs of Georgia. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)

• 9/16/1950

  A Commission is appointed to gather historical documents on the Georgia Martyrs. Members of the Commission are Rev. Marion Habig, OFM, Rev. Alexander Wyse, OFM and Rev. Ignatius Omaechevarria, OFM. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)

• 11/01/1950

  Rev. Marion Habig, OFM sends the Franciscan Postulator General, Rev. Fortunatus Scipiori, photocopies of original documents from Spain regarding the Georgia Martyrs. (from The Martyrs of the United States of America ed. James M. Powers, 1957)
• 1957

  Archbishop John Gannon, of Erie, submitted a proposal that the bishops petition the Holy See for a favorable acceptance of the Cause of the Five Martyrs of Georgia.

• 1977

  Archaeologists from the American Museum of Natural History began looking for the site of Mission Santa Catalina.

• 1979

  Father Alexander Wyse named Vice Postulator of the Cause
• 9/20/1997

  Nativity of Our Lady Mission in Darien commemorates the 4th Centenary of the Deaths of the GA Martyrs with a service and lectures about the excavations and history of St. Catherine’s Island. (NOLMD program flier)

• 1980

  Bishop Lessard expressed full support and cooperation in pursuing the canonical process of this Cause. In November of that year the first of several organizational meetings took place.

• 12/1980

  Rev. Marion A. Habig, OFM is appointed Vice Postulator of the Georgia Martyrs Beatification. The martyrs championed the cause of Christian wedlock. (from “Five 16th-Century Franciscans Considered for Beatification,” in the Savannah News-Press, 12/7/1980)

• 1981

  Bishop Lessard requested the Nihil Obstat of the Holy See to institute the Cause of Fray Pedro de Corpa and his companions.

• 12/1982

  Dr. David Hurst Thomas and a team of excavators from the American Museum of Natural History, NY discover the foundations of Mission Sta Catalina de Guale on St. Catherine’s Island. (from “Spain’s Fallen Outpost Unearthed on Georgia Island,” in The New York Times, 12/14/1982)

• 1982

  Bishop Lessard names a three-member Historical Commission for the Cause. Chairman is Fr. Francisco Morales, OFM (Vice Director, Academy of American Franciscan history in Washington DC). Members are Dr. Edward Cashin (Chair of History Department, Augusta College) and Dr. F. Lamar Pearson (Professor, Valdosta State College). (from “Past…Spanish Missions Tell the Tale,” in the Southern Cross, 1/27/1983)

• 1983

  Pope John Paul II established new norms governing causes of canonization.
• 2/22/1984

  Bishop Lessard accepted the petition of the Franciscan Order officially opening the process. (from “Five 16th-Century Franciscans Considered for Beatification,” in the Savannah News-Press, 12/7/1980)

• 5/1984

  Most Rev. Raymond W. Lessard reconsecrates the former mission site and blesses the burial grounds at Santa Catalina. Remains of those who died there are reburied.

• 1986

  Nihil Obstat received from the Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

• 1992

  Postulator engaged in editing of the Positio for submission to the judgment of the Diocesan Tribunal.

• 1993

  Public meeting held at St. Simons Island. The Postulator met with Bishop Lessard and members of the Tribunal to hand over their completed Report.

2000s

• 2002

  Historical Commission completed its investigation. (Note that by this time Father Conrad Harkins had been named Vice-Postulator.)

• 10/2002

  As a more sensitive understanding of Native culture emerges, official Canonization Cause literature and flyers are edited to honor the Guale peoples.
• 2003

  The town of Villalbilla, birth place of Fray Pedro de Corpa, publishes a book about its history and dedicates a chapter to "Fray Pedro de Corpa un Hijo de Villalbilla en Proceso de Beatification."

• 3/16/2007

  Diocesan stage of Georgia Martyrs Cause completed. Bishop Boland officially closed the Diocesan Process. Authenticated records were sent to the Congregation for the Causes of saints in Rome.

• 3/2010 or 2011

  Academy of American Franciscan History meets on St. Catherines island.
• 2018

  Bishop Hartmayer and Fr. Pablo Migone meet with Br. Giovangiuseppe Califano, OFM, and Profesor Ulderico Parente in Rome about the Reportatio submitted in 2007

• 12/03/2019

  The Catholic Communications Campaign of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops awards the Diocese of Savannah a $75,000 grant to produce and film a documentary on the history and martyrdom of Fray Pedro de Corpa and Companions.

• 1/2020

  The Diocese of Savannah Cause for Canonization Committee engages Guerilla Productions, LLC to film a documentary on the story of Fray Pedro de Corpa and Companions. (The production is delayed because of the COVID pandemic and a forest fire on St. Catherines Island.)

• 2/14/2020

  Bishop Hartmayer and Diocesan Cause Contact Fr. Pablo Migone, Chancellor, meet with the Congregation of the Causes of Saints in Rome.

• 9/2022

  The Diocese of Savannah is notified that the Historical Committee of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has approved and advanced the cause of beatification for Friar Pedro de Corpa and Companions.

• 2/5/2024

  For the Sake of the Gospel, the documentary on the Martyrs, premieres on EWTN.
• 1/27/2025

  Pope Francis authorizes the promulgation of the Decree concerning the martyrdom of the Servants of God Pedro de Corpa and Companions, of the Order of Friars Minor, killed in odium fidei ("hatred of the faith") in September 1597.

  The publication of the Decree – declaring that the friars were true martyrs for Christ – is an official act that paves the way for the celebration of the rite of beatification. From this day forward and until beatification, Friar Pedro de Corpa, Friar Blas Rodríguez, Friar Miguel de Añon, Friar Antonio de Badajóz, and Friar Francisco de Veráscola are entitled to the title of “Venerables.”