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Padre David
Fr. David


Saint David Uribe Velasco was born on December 29, 1888 in the small town of Buenavista de Cuellar in the State of Guerrero, Mexico. He was the son of Juan Uribe Ayala and Victoriana Velasco Gutierrez, a humble married couple of few material resources but with proven and exemplary virtues. David was the seventh of eleven children. He was baptized on January 6, 1889. He enrolled in the Seminary of Chilapa in 1903 and in 1909 received Minor Orders. The following year he became sub-deacon and in 1911, a deacon. On March 2, 1913 he was ordained a priest by D. Francsico Campos, Bishop of Chilapa.

After ordination, he left for his hometown. There, he said his first Mass on March 12, 1913. Sometime later he left to become the personal secretary to His Excellency Antonio Hernandez Rodriguez, Bishop of Tabasco.

A persecution of the Church was unleashed in Mexico that found its way to the State of Tabasco by 1914. Father David Uribe, along with the Bishop received orders to move to the city of Chilapa, Guerrero. During their journey, the boat that was taking them to Veracruz sank. Only six people survived, including the Bishop and Father David. Some time later, Father David became the parish priest for Zirandaro, where he began his Pastoral Ministry with zeal and prudence. He was forced, however, to return to the city of Chilapa because of the continuous Zapatista uprisings in the region.

Father David became the parish priest for not only his native town but also for Teloloapan and Iguala in Guerrero. He had a great and profound love for the Eucharist and for the Virgen of Tepeyac. In his speeches and sermons he extolled Mexico's devotion to her Queen and the hope that this devotion would be preserved.

On July 30, 1926 by order of the Mexican Bishops and with the approval of the Roman Pontiff, all public worship was stopped and the churches closed. Father David submissively obeyed the order and recommended that the faithful maintain calm and prudence.

April 7, 1927 Father David was taken prisioner and later held incommunicado in the city of Cuernavaca. It was here on April 11th that he wrote his "Last Will and Testament".

The following day he was taken to a place close to San Jose Vidal in the State of Morelos where he would be shot.

He had hardly gotten out of the car when he kneeled down and from the depths of his soul begged God for forgiveness for his sins and for the salvation of Mexico and its Church. He got up slowly, and addressing the soldiers with a paternal tone, said to them, "Brothers, kneel down so that I may bless you. With all my heart I forgive you and I only ask that you pray to God for my soul. As for me, I will not forget you when I am before Him."

He firmly raised his right hand and in the air traced the sign of the Cross; after he divided among them his watch, his rosary, a crucifix and other objects.

His relics rest in the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in his native town of Buenavista de Cuellar.