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August 8, 2019SANTIAGO ATITLAN – A few months before Blessed Stanley Rother was murdered in Guatemala, an iconic photograph of him holding the hand of a young girl was captured outside of his parish in Santiago Atitlan.
On July 28 – 38 years after that photograph was taken – the little girl, now 52, returned to Saint James the Apostle Catholic Church in the mountain town of Santiago Atitlan to celebrate the second feast day of Blessed Stanley Rother and to meet Archbishop Paul Coakley.
“To meet her after all of these years was such a beautiful experience. I’m not sure she knows how famous that image has become,” Archbishop Coakley said. “She and her mother were delightful, and humbled just to be a part of the celebration. It was a highlight of our pilgrimage to Guatemala.”
The “little girl” is Elena Petzey. She and her mom, who only speak the Mayan dialect Tzʼutujil, attended Mass at Saint James when Blessed Stanley was pastor. They met one morning at the top of the steps outside of the main door of the sanctuary.
The black-and-white photo taken by Frankie Williams, a friend of Blessed Stanley’s, has become one of the most famous photos of the Oklahoma priest, appearing in parishes around the world. It has been sculpted into statues with the largest statue at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Okarche, Blessed Stanley’s hometown.
Archbishop Coakley celebrated Mass July 28 at Saint James the Apostle in honor of Blessed Stanley’s feast day, which marks the day he was martyred – July 28, 1981. Archbishop Coakley made the pilgrimage to Guatemala with 52 pilgrims from Oklahoma and elsewhere to visit the churches where Blessed Stanley served.
The feast day is celebrated every year by parishes in Guatemala as well as the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, the Diocese of Tulsa and the Diocese of Little Rock.
Diane Clay is editor of the Sooner Catholic.
Top photo: Archbishop Coakley and Elena Petzey. Photo Diane Clay/ Sooner Catholic.
Bottom photo: Bl. Stanley Rother and Elena Petzey. Photo Frankie Williams.
Click HERE to view more photos from the pilgrimage.
