MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Catholic Church is adding a new member to its ranks of the “blessed” with the beatification of the Reverend Moisés Lira.
The beatification ceremony took place on Saturday at Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupeled by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, who was appointed for the occasion by Pope Francis.
Before Lira, María Concepción Cabrera was the last Mexican to be beatified in 2019.
Here’s a glimpse into Lira’s life in a country which is home to nearly 100 million Catholics.
Who was Moisés Lira?
He was born in September 1893 in Puebla, one of the most conservative states of Mexico.
His mother died when he was 5 and he had to cope with the absence of his father, who had to move for work.
Lira dreamed of becoming a priest from a young age. In 1914, he became the first novice of a congregation founded by the French priest Félix de Jesús Rougier. And in 1922, after being ordained a priest, he wrote the motto that would define his life: “You have to be very small to be a great saint.”
Lira devoted his life to teaching catechists, caring for the sick, and offering spiritual guidance to vulnerable communities. In 1934, he founded a congregation—the Missionaries of Charity of Mary Immaculate—as well as schools and psychiatric institutions.
He died in Mexico City in 1950.
What miracle is attributed to him?
According to Mother María de la Luz Nava, of the congregation founded by Lira, the miracle took place between May and June 2004.
A pregnant woman from Guanajuato, another conservative state in Mexico, received the worst news at the time: in week 18 of her pregnancy, her unborn daughter developed a condition characterized by fluid retention.
The diagnosis, the doctor said, could be fatal to the fetus or affect the mother. And although he offered to terminate the pregnancy, the woman and her husband refused.
“There wasn’t much hope,” said Mother María de la Luz. “But they were very clear about one thing: they weren’t going to choose abortion. They would continue to look for options so that their daughter would be born healthy.”
When she got home, the woman found a brochure about the work of Rev. Lira. “I don’t know you,” she told him. “But please help me.”
For nine days she prayed. And when another doctor’s appointment came, a surprise awaited her.
“What did you do?” the doctor asked the couple. “Because your daughter is healthy.”
“Here the intercession of Father Moisés is very clear,” said Mother María de la Luz. “And it shows how a miracle is accomplished through faith.”
The congregation of De la Luz heard about the case in 2014. The following year, the request for beatification was submitted through the local diocese, and eight years passed until Pope Francis issued a decree for the miracle in 2023.
What matters can be entrusted to Lira?
According to the Reverend David Padrón, who has campaigned for canonization, the miracle attributed to Lira makes him a protector of life from conception.
“This is a very strong message from God,” Padrón said. “Maybe those mothers who have a problem during their pregnancy can turn to Him.”
In addition, he said, parishioners could also entrust him with health and education matters because Lira worked a lot with the sick and students.
“A large part of his pastoral work was aimed at dignifying people who, due to illness, poverty or some other situation, did not enjoy a dignified life in society,” Padrón said.
What now?
Catholic leaders are confident that a second miracle will occur after Saturday’s beatification, allowing them to pursue Lira’s canonization.
In the meantime, local parishes will honor him every year on June 15. “We have included him as one of the saints of the Archdiocese of Mexico, in the hope that when he is canonized he can be celebrated throughout the world,” Padrón said.
Lira’s most cherished relic is a metacarpal bone from his right hand. It is symbolic, Padrón said, because Lira shared the Gospel through his writings and it is part of the pointing finger.
“The blessed and the saints are men and women who point us to Christ,” he said.
A number of top-shelf relics — Lira’s body parts — will soon be distributed through parishes that were important in his life or to Mexico’s Catholic community, such as the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Cathedral of Puebla.
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