Roman Catholic Saint. Mascota born José María Robles Hurtado came from a deeply devout Catholic family. Entering seminary in Guadalajara, he was ordained priest there on March 22, 1913. Founding the Hermanas del Corazón de Jesús Sacramentado at Nochistlan, Zacatecas, in 1918, the congregation was aimed to oversee the pastoral healthcare and education while assisting orphanages and conducting missions. Surviving to this day, its members are presently known as the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. An avid writer, Father José wrote, published and distributed various newsletters, pamphlets and letters. Serving as parish priest in Tecolotlán, he promoted greater devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through his preaching, being so fervent, that he was nicknamed the "Madman of the Sacred Heart". With the Constitution of 1917 prohibiting all religious activities from the public, in retaliation to such an edit, Hurtado organized a ceremony for the laying of a cornerstone for a huge cross atop of a hill in central Mexico, symbolizing the country's recognition of Christ its King. With some forty thousand people estimated to have attended the ceremony, the spot is known to this day as the Mountain of Christ the King. Refusing to leave Mexico in spite of the intense persecutions against the clergy, he was arrested on June 25, 1927 for presiding at Mass in private homes. Found guilty, he was sentenced to death by hanging. The next morning before dawn, he was led to an oak tree on the highest part of the mountain range of Quila and in a final display of compassion for his executioners, Hurtado offered them a small votive candle he had in his pocket to help light the path to the tree where he was to be hanged. Upon arriving there, forgiving the men for what they were about to do, he took the noose into his own hands, exclaiming "Don't dirty your hands" to the one who brought it to him, and kissing it, put it around his own neck. Beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 1992, the same Pontiff canonized him on May 21, 2000. His liturgical celebration is held on June 26.