The Servants of God,

   Fray Pedro de Corpa
   Fray Blas Rodríguez
   Fray Miguel de Añon
   Fray Antonio de Badajoz
   Fray Francisco de Veráscola

     The Georgia Martyrs are five Spanish Franciscan missionaries who labored and died for their faith in September, 1597, in the area which is now southeast Georgia, USA.  On February 22, 1984, their Cause for Canonization was opened by the Bishop
of Savannah.  The Church will eventually decide if they should be recognized as true martyrs and saints.

   Nativity of Our Lady Mission, where I
worship, in Darien, Georgia was built in memory of The Georgia Martyrs.  Fr. Pedro de Corpa, had his mission, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato, somewhere near present-day Darien.  In the side yard of Nativity stands a monument commemorating both the Martyrs and those men from McIntosh County who gave their lives in World War 11.
   The missionaries died September 13-18, 1597.

This sculpture of The Georgia Martyrs by Marjorie Lawrence hangs in the vestibule of St. Williams Parish on St. Simons Island, Georgia.  When I was Director of Religious Education  at St. Williams, I asked my friend Marjorie if she would paint something big, striking and lightweight which I could exhibit every September and which would focus an audience's attention as I told the story of The Martyrs.  Marjorie is not Catholic, but she was so inspired by the story of The Martyrs that she created this magnificent sculpture which hangs permanently at St. Williams.  When asked what aspect of the Martyrs' story inspired her to create this sculpture, Marjorie replied, "The missionaries had so much compassion for the Indians, that even though they knew they would be brutally murdered, they knelt and prayed for them."  Another reason Marjorie is interested in the Martyrs is that on her property on St. Simons an historical marker has been placed saying that an "Old Spanish Garden" was located in the area, according to a 1739 map.  The marker is at the intersection of Demere Rd and Ocean Blvd., St. Simons Island, Georgia.