More than 45,000 young Catholics from across Mexico are expected to gather at the end of January for a national pilgrimage to the monument of Christ the King on Cubilete Hill, marking 100 years since the beginning of the Cristero War — a defining chapter in the nation’s religious history.
According to Catholic News Agency, the National Youth March will take place on Jan. 31, drawing participants from dioceses throughout the country to Guanajuato state. The pilgrimage commemorates the centenary of the Cristero War, also known as the Cristiada, which began in 1926 following sweeping government restrictions on the Catholic Church.
Organizers announced during a Jan. 12 press conference that events will begin the evening of Jan. 30 with Cubifest, an overnight youth gathering in the town of Aguas Buenas featuring music and performances by well-known Catholic bands. At dawn the following morning, participants will take part in a Holy Hour before beginning the ascent to the Christ the King monument.
The pilgrimage will culminate in the celebration of Holy Mass, presided over by the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, and concelebrated by Archbishop Jaime Calderón Calderón of León along with other bishops and priests, according to Catholic News Agency.
The 2026 commemoration coincides with 100 years since the Calles Law went into effect on July 31, 1926. That legislation sharply curtailed religious freedom, prompting Mexico’s bishops to suspend public worship. In response, Catholics across several regions of the country rose up in defense of their faith. While the armed conflict officially ended in 1929, persecution and killings continued for years afterward.
Beyond remembering the past, organizers say the march also speaks to the present. Leaders of the Witness and Hope group, which coordinates the annual event, warned of what they described as a “subtle but growing censorship” against Catholic expression in Mexico, according to Catholic News Agency.
“We raise our voices against a reality that deeply wounds the soul of Mexico,” organizers said. “We are living in times when there is an attempt to silence faith, to silence pastors, and to relegate Christ to the private sphere, as if faith were an obstacle in public life,” according to the report.
They pointed to attacks on churches, the rise in the number of priests murdered in recent years, and legislative efforts that could restrict religious life as signs of an emerging form of persecution. While different in appearance from the past, organizers said the underlying hostility remains similar.
Although the march coincides with the centenary of a war, organizers stressed that it is not meant to promote conflict. Instead, they emphasized that participants seek to proclaim Christ peacefully, “with the cross, the rosary, and prayer as instruments of peace,” according to Catholic News Agency.
Speaking to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language partner, Witness and Hope member Rubén Loya described the event not as a celebration of violence, but as a remembrance of faithfulness. He said the focus is on “the beginning of the Cristero resistance,” which included martyrs, families who persevered in prayer, and priests who continued to celebrate Mass in secret during persecution, according to Catholic News Agency.
Loya added that the centenary pilgrimage is intended as a call to unity and peace within the Church, offering young Catholics an opportunity to reconnect with the spiritual meaning of sacrifice, hope, and fidelity in the face of adversity.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
