Juan Barrera Méndez
Lay member of Catholic Action, martyr in Guatemala
Who they were
Born at Potrero Viejo on 4 August 1967, he was a member of Catholic Action and, kind and warm-hearted, worked hard for his parish; he was killed in 1980 at the age of thirteen. Pope Francis beatified him with José María Gran Cirera and his nine companions on 23 April 2021.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
The decree on martyrdom records that he was killed in 1980 when he was thirteen years old.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis 112 (2020), p. 1130 - decree on martyrdom
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - beatifications of 23 April 2021
- Wikidata Q103916295 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.