A Relic, A Pilgrimage and a Miracle? Blessed Miguel Pro Relic Arrives at Westminster Catholic School
- Guest Contributor
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
What began as a simple request turned into a schoolwide celebration, and a possible modern miracle.
By Tracy Seul
Viviana Chavez never imagined that a single visit to adoration would open the door to a whirlwind of grace, unexpected miracles and a renewed devotion to Blessed Miguel Pro.
In September, Chavez — business manager at Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy in Westminster — reached out to Holy Family Church in Mexico City ahead of a family vacation. To her surprise, the parish responded with extraordinary generosity: they immediately added the school to their prayer list and arranged a private, guided visit for her family.
Two weeks later, Chavez found herself praying at the very church connected to Blessed Miguel Pro’s life and martyrdom. She also returned to Colorado carrying a precious and unexpected gift for the school community: a first-class relic of Blessed Miguel Pro.
Ordinarily, requesting and receiving a relic takes months. But because Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy is the first school in the United States to claim the Jesuit martyr as its patron, the response from Holy Family Church came swiftly and warmly.
“I wanted to make sure I took good care of the special passenger I had coming back to the States with us!” Chavez recalled.
The relic was entrusted to her family for Holy Trinity Parish in Westminster, located on the same campus as the school. Following the guidance of Father Daniel Cardo, pastor of Holy Trinity, the relic remained in a place of honor in her home until its official reception. Father Cardo instructed the family to pray daily with the relic in preparation for the moment it would be presented to the parish community.
A Schoolwide Celebration
Jim Schoepflin, principal of Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy, reflected on the profound honor of receiving the relic into the school and parish community.
“A relic is a piece of a holy person or an object they owned, and we venerate it as something touched by the Holy Spirit,” he explained. “It reminds us that we are all called to sainthood, and it serves as a physical reminder to pray for that person’s intercession. When we attend Mass as a school community, the relic will always connect us to our patron.”
Since Blessed Miguel Pro’s feast day falls on Nov. 23, which this year landed on a Sunday and during Thanksgiving break, the special ceremony to receive the relic was scheduled for Nov. 21, allowing the whole school to participate. The community was blessed, too, to welcome Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, who formally received the relic from the Chavez family.
The celebration began with the student council concluding a novena that the school had prayed together. That morning, students crafted prayer-bead bracelets with Blessed Miguel medals. After the ceremony, families shared conchas — Mexican sweet bread beloved by Blessed Miguel Pro.
During the liturgy, Schoepflin reminded the community that the day began with prayer because “just before his execution, Blessed Miguel Pro’s last request was to be allowed to pray.”
Before accepting the relic on behalf of Holy Trinity and blessing those present, Archbishop Aquila spoke about choosing the saint as the academy’s patron and his deep admiration for the priest who risked his life to bring the sacraments to the faithful during persecution.
“He heard the voice of Jesus when he learned the Gospels,” the archbishop said. “He opened his heart to that call and became a true disciple of Jesus.”
He recalled how Father Pro was executed in Mexico City, proclaiming “¡Viva Cristo Rey! [Long Live Christ the King!]” with his final breath.
“And so too is the mission of our Catholic schools,” he continued, “to make disciples, to help you, the children and your parents, become disciples of Jesus and follow him faithfully, so that we too can say, Viva Cristo Rey!"
Archbishop Aquila then blessed the assembly with the relic.
“Blessing with relics,” he said, “is seeking the intercession of the blessed in Heaven, asking them to pray for us so that God may bless us, for it is ultimately God who blesses.”
He concluded with a message to the students: “God has a definite plan for each and every one of you, one that only you can fulfill. But you must be willing to receive God’s love and respond to his will.”
“Why me?” — A Personal Encounter
Throughout the experience, Chavez wondered why God chose her to bring the relic home.
“During the veneration, when I was holding the relic, I saw the necessity of students and families,” she said. “On one student, it looked like the Holy Spirit was with him. He was holding his Rosary, his hands were shaking, and his eyes were wide open!”
Gabriel, a student, shared simply: “It was a great experience for me. I felt so happy inside when I was with the relic.”
A Miracle Close to Home?
Just days after the relic arrived in Colorado, one school family found themselves in urgent need of prayer.
“My husband was saved by a miracle through Blessed Miguel Pro,” said Jessica Carrillo.
Her husband, Mario, a father of two daughters at the academy, was rushed into the hospital for life-threatening abdominal surgery on Sept. 23. The operation was long and complicated.
“We were all shocked and praying he would pull through,” she said.
Mario survived, but recovery was uncertain. On Oct. 3, Jessica was told that although he was stable, he would not be leaving the hospital soon.
“Everything internally was still asleep,” she said. “It was like a coma. Externally, he could communicate with us, but he wasn’t fully himself.”
That evening, Chavez brought the relic to Mario’s hospital room.
“We were praying with him, and we just felt a great presence and a deep peace,” Carillo said.
The next day, doctors delivered astonishing news: Mario could go home.
“We knew it was all the prayers and positivity from the visit with the relic,” Carillo said. “Everything changed overnight.”
Though still recovering, Mario agreed. The experience, for him, was an unmistakable sign of Blessed Miguel Pro’s intercession.
“It was dark in the room,” he recalled. “And as soon as the relic was there, I felt peace throughout the whole room. I didn’t know what the outcome would be, but it brought me great joy. It felt like a hand was on my shoulder. When I got the news the next day, I wasn’t shocked. I knew it was our faith. I felt much better knowing that it was the power of prayer, something we sometimes take for granted, that helped me.”
Mario’s testimony has now been submitted as part of the ongoing collection of accounts supporting potential miracles attributed to Blessed Miguel Pro.
“With Blessed Miguel Pro’s relic, you can see prayer, peace and community come together,” he concluded. “It’s great to know we are all here for each other.”
After an emotional day of prayer and healing, Viviana reflected on the entire experience:
“With all of the intentions today, it’s time to see the miracles of Blessed Miguel Pro.”
