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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

Santo Toribio, religion, politics, society, saint, Roman Catholic Church

College

Religious Education

Department

Church History and Doctrine

Abstract

Santo Toribio is a saint who was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, but whose cult (used here in the very general meaning as “following”) includes many beliefs and practices that would categorize him as a “folk saint”, or unofficial saint. He died as a martyr of the Cristero (Soldiers of Christ) Rebellion in 1929, but beginning in the 1980’s stories began circulating concerning his miraculous intervention while helping migrants cross the border from Mexico to the United States. He was then canonized collectively in the year 2000 with a group of 26 other saints for reasons not related to immigration, including martyrdom and a miracle thought to be performed by the group as a whole. The ORCA Grant enabled me to conduct surveys and interviews in Mexico (primarily at the shrine of Santo Toribio in Santa Ana de Guadalupe, Jalisco) and conduct an analysis of religious wares on both sides of the border. Through this study, a pattern of Santo Toribio’s cult disbursement was established and some reported myths concerning his devotion were debunked.

Included in

Religion Commons

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