This historical chapter plays close to home as my great-grandfather was morally involved and supported the resistance. He was a founder and active participant of the Knights of Columbus in Mexico City. This society played an active financial role in the rebellion. Our family business was also affected by this persecution in Mexico, as he could not sell his most important products, which at the time were altar candles for the churches. In the early years of this escalating situation, my great grandfather, a deeply religious man and friend of the church, hid at his candle factory, church artwork and religious valuables to keep them from being plundered and destroyed by government officials.
On more than one occasion, based on anonymous tips, government troops personally led by General Plutarco Elías Calles, raided both my great-grandfathers business and his home, looking for firearms and the illegal church valuables that he was hiding. Unable to find anything, the General made my great-grandfather kneel to the ground and shoved his pistol into the back of my great-grandfathers head. Why he never pulled the trigger or why they were never able to find anything either at the candle factory or at his home, was all God's work. At my great-grandfather's home, there were firearms in plain sight standing behind the open doors to the inner rooms
supplied to him by the US Embassy in Mexico City.
This world is really-really small
as fate would have it be, my brother-in-law married the great-granddaughter of General Plutarco Elías Calles
Although my father knows about this, I never mentioned anything to my grandfather about the subject
Thank God nothing more serious ever happened
there are absolutely no ill-feelings between us, and it sure makes a heck-of-a-good family story for generations to come!
I hope you have an opportunity to see the movie, it is an important chapter of Mexican history which has been institutionally hidden for almost 100 years now.
