Christmas is fast approaching. In the hustle and bustle of the season it is also a good time to slow down and think about the true meaning of Christmas. In this Friday Footnote, our guest columnist, Dr. Connors helps by telling us about a former FFA member who truly embodied the spirit of Christmas.
Oklahoma Farm Boy, FFA member, Catholic Priest, Saint?
Dr. Jim Connors
South Dakota State University
Many former FFA members have gone on to great careers in business, politics, entertainment, and academia. FFA members have risen to be university presidents, well known entertainers, governors, and even President of the United States. It is impossible to know how many have entered the ministry or religious service. This footnote will introduce you to one exceptional FFA alumni who gave his life in service to his flock.
FFA Years
Stanley Rother was born in 1935 in Oklahoma. The son of an Oklahoma farmer. He grew up in a devout Catholic family and attended Holy Trinity Catholic School in Okarche, OK. While he attended a Catholic school, he was able to be a member of the Okarche FFA Chapter at Okarche High School.
Figure 1. Clipping from the Kingfisher Times, October 2, 1952
His life on the farm and in FFA was very typical of any farm boy growing up in the 1950s. Some of his FFA activities included:
- Kingfisher County Livestock Show
- Black Angus Steer (1952)
- Black Angus Steer – 3rd Place (1953)
- Poland China barrow pigs – 2nd & 7th Place (1953)
- Okarche FFA Chapter President – 1952-1953
- Okarche FFA Chapter – Star Farmer (1953)
- Okarche FFA Chapter – Outstanding FFA member – Honorable Mention
- Okarche Lions Club – FFA presentation – Building the FFA Emblem
Seminary Years
After graduating high school in the spring of 1953, many students went back to the farm, attended college, or got jobs in rural Oklahoma. Stanley, along with other boys from Holy Trinity school decided to give their lives to God and enrolled in seminary. Stanley attended St. John’s Catholic Seminary in San Antonio, TX. Thanks to his agriculture experiences and FFA activities, he served as the groundskeeper and gardener for the seminary.
However, as many students do, he struggled in his seminary studies. This was primarily because the teaching was in Latin, the ancient language utilized in the Catholic church at that time. He eventually attended Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. He graduated and was ordained a Priest on May 25, 1963.
Figure 2. Stanley Rother
Priesthood Years
After serving as a Priest in Oklahoma for five years, he requested assignment to the Diocese’ mission in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. There he would be ministering to the Tz’utuhil people, a rural population in the highlands of southwest Guatemala. During his time in Guatemala, he started a radio station and established a farm cooperative to help the small farmers of the region. The country was plagued with poor political leadership and para-military death squads. Many priests were threatened or killed because of their work with the poor rural population in the country.
Father Stanley Rother was killed in the church rectory by three gunmen in the early morning hours of July 28, 1981. He was one of 10 Catholic priests killed in Guatemala in 1981. His body was returned to Oklahoma, and he was buried in Holy Trinity Cemetery in Okarche, OK. However, at the request of the Tz’utuhil people he loved and served, his heart was buried under the altar of the church in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.
Figure 3. Map of Guatemala
Beatification
In 2007, the Catholic church began an investigation to determine if Father Rother was worthy of recognition as a Servant of God. The process for recognition as a Catholic Saint is long and can take decades. In 2016, Pope Francis confirmed Rother as a Martyr, a person who was killed “in hatred of the faith.” Rother was beatified on September 23, 2017. He is the first martyr from the United States and the first U.S. born priest to be beatified. The Blessed Father Stanley Rother now moves on to possible sainthood in the years ahead.
A Catholic mission church in Decatur, Arkansas has been named for Blessed Rother. In 2023, the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine was opened in Oklahoma City to honor the native son of Oklahoma.
Figure 4. Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine – Oklahoma City, OK
If you wish to learn more about the life of Father Stanley Rother, there are numerous webpages, books, and videos available (see references). If you wish to learn how a person becomes a Saint, you can check out this website: https://archokc.org/rothercause. There is a very good description at the bottom of the page on the Process of Canonization.
Conclusion
FFA has taught leadership skills since its founding in 1928. Thousands of former FFA members have been recognized for their service to society and contributions to their profession. What does it mean to be a Servant Leader? We can see a great example of Servant Leadership by looking at the life of Blessed Stanley Rother, a simple farm boy and FFA member from Oklahoma. Hopefully, sometime in the future, Father Rother will be canonized a Saint.
Figure 5. Poster depicting the life of Stanely Rother by Jen Norton
Curators Note: This will be the last Friday Footnote until January 3.
Enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
References
Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (n.d.). Biography of Blessed Stanley Rother. https://archokc.org/stanleyrother
Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (n.d.). An ordinary martyr: The life and death of Blessed Stanley Rother [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsOvNtoZVzc
KOCO 5 News (2017, February 17). Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine dedication brings day of emotion, celebration to Catholic community [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfNjO88TQmg
Okarche FFA Holds Election of Officers (1952, October 2). Kingfisher Times. Kingfisher Times 10.2.52 – Newspapers.com™
Scaperlanda, M.R. (2015). The shepherd who didn’t run: Father Stanley Rother, martyr from Oklahoma. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division.
Stanley Rother. (2024, September 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Rother