Who was the first martyr born in the US to be officially recognized by the Vatican? He is in the picture.

Stanley Francis Rother (born March 27, 1935 in Okarche, Oklahoma - died July 28, 1981 in Guatemala) was an American Catholic priest and missionary to Guatemala. He was murdered on July 28, 1981, by a death squad—believed to have been made up of right-wing extremists and elements of the Guatemalan Army. The Congregation of the Causes of Saints of the Holy See (Vatican) officially recognized Rother on June 23, 2015, as a martyr, a critical stage before beatification. The Decree of his Martyrdom was signed by Pope Francis on December 2, 2016 and his beatification ceremony (a step on the path to sainthood) is tentatively scheduled to take place in the fall of 2017. He is the first martyr born in the US to be recognized (made official and acknowledged) by the Vatican. He was also known for his kindness, selflessness, joy and attentive presence among his Guatemalan parishioners.