Darío Acosta Zurita

Darío Acosta Zurita (14 December 1908 – 25 July 1931) was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest who ministered in Veracruz where he lived and was killed. Zurita commenced his studies for the priesthood after he had once been refused entrance and he became known as an athletic seminarian. Bishop Rafael Guízar Valencia ordained him in 1931 and he was killed three months later after gunmen stormed the cathedral – enacting the so-called Tejeda Law – and shot him dead.

Zurita's beatification cause commenced under Pope John Paul II on 3 September 1988 and he was beatified under Pope Benedict XVI on 20 November 2005 after the latter confirmed that Zurita had been killed 'in odium fidei' – in hatred of the faith. Cardinal José Saraiva Martins presided over the beatification on the pontiff's behalf in Guadalajara.

Life Darío Acosta Zurita was born in Naolinco, Mexico on 14 December 1908 as one of five children to Leopoldo Acosta and Dominga Zurita.

Bishop Guízar ordained him to the priesthood on 25 April 1931 and Zurita celebrated his first Mass at the Parish of the Assumption on 24 May 1931. The governor led the anti-religious charge and had designed the law to reign in the power of the churches in the area. Zurita remained calm and placed his faith in God once he received his letter – designated as number 759 rather than in name – on 21 July 1931. He would call fellow vicars to assess the situation though all were of the mindset that their sole role was to cater to the needs of the faithful rather than to the wishes of the government. All priests were sent the same letter demanding that they cooperate with the government and remain faithful to the contents of this law. This law entered into force on 25 July 1931.

On 25 July 1931 at 6:10 pm several men in militia raincoats entered the cathedral of the Assumption and without warning unleashed a barrage of bullets at the two priests present in the room. One sustained grave injuries while another – Father Rosas – escaped death when he hid in the pulpit. Zurita had just baptized a child in the adjacent room before coming into the main section of the cathedral and was at once shot several times. He fell to the ground and exclaimed "Jesus!" before he died. His death – which occurred on a Saturday – took place while children were present for a catechism class he was about to start. Zurita had been a priest for three months.

Beatification The beatification cause opened under Pope John Paul II on 3 September 1988 in a move that titled Zurita as a Servant of God. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated this process on 25 February 2000.

The Positio was submitted to the C.C.S. in 2004 and was passed onto theologians on 15 May 2004 for their assessment in which the cause received approval. The cardinal and bishop members of the C.C.S. also met to discuss the cause on 15 June 2004 and also responded in the affirmative, while John Paul II offered his definitive approval to the beatification on 22 June 2004.

Zurita's beatification was celebrated under Pope Benedict XVI on 20 November 2005 in Guadalajara with Cardinal José Saraiva Martins presiding over the celebration on the behalf of the pontiff.