SIERRA VISTA - Throughout the day on Monday, a steady stream of worshipers solemnly make their way toward the altar at St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church.

They're here to venerate the holy relics of six martyred priests.

Part of a national pilgrimage to celebrate the centennial of the Knights of Columbus in Mexico and remember the thousands of people who died in that county during a time when Catholics were persecuted, Sierra Vista was one of the tour's several stops. The six martyred Catholic priests whose relics are venerated on this tour are among 25 Mexican martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II. Thousands of Mexico's Catholics refused to renounce their faith in the 1920s and 1930s and paid with their lives.

"They continued to serve the Lord and practice their faith in the face of extraordinary risk and persecution," said the Rev. Greg Adolf, who is known as Father Greg by his parishioners at St. Andrew. "The situation in Mexico was so bad at that time, that priests were hunted down and murdered. Seminaries were shut down, and Catholics were forced to practice their faith underground."

When Adolf learned that Sierra Vista would be one of the stops in the reliquary pilgrimage, he was filled with joy.

"We were very, very excited to be included on the itinerary," he said. "It was a limited itinerary and we were just thrilled. It was just providential that they choose us."

St. Andrew's new Sonoran mission-style church offers the perfect venue for the pilgrimage, Adolf said. Based on four mission churches in Mexico and two in Arizona, it's the first Sonoran-style church built in Arizona since 1922.

The relics' visit held special meaning for St. Andrew's associate pastor, Bartolome Vazquez, a Mexican national from Guadalajara.

"This is amazing," he said while gazing at the silver cross holding the relics. "We have this wonderful opportunity to show the joy in our hearts. When the Lord permits us to be in front of the holy relics, it is a very moving time for all of us."

The relics were available for veneration from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The formal celebration started with a procession at 9 a.m., complete with a Knights of Columbus Honor Guard escort. St. Andrew's two priests, Adolf and Vazquez, honored the relics with incense, a ceremony that was followed by Mass.

The pilgrimage of the relics began in Mexico City in September 2005. From there, the reliquary traveled to cities throughout Mexico. On March 18, the U.S. portion of the tour began when it made its first stop at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas. After traveling to several major U.S. cities the pilgrimage will conclude in Orlando at the Knights of Columbus' 124th Supreme Convention in August 2006. Besides Sierra Vista, the relics' tour of Arizona included Prescott and Phoenix and they will be in Tucson today.

"Our goal was to include as much of the state as possible," said Andrew Walther, Knights of Columbus director of media relations. "The turnout has been wonderful. More than 100 people were here this morning, and now we have another good-sized crowd. This has appealed to a lot of people."

Part of that appeal, he said, is because the martyrs are modern-day saints.

"They were modern men who grew up with trains and cars. Their modern influence has a huge impact on people because they represent a very modern historical event, in a country very close to this area."

Alice Cortez, a nun from Our Lady of the Lords in Benson was visiting the reliquary with Hilda Rohal, another sister from Benson. Experiencing the reliquary the women said, is a thrill they'll never forget.

"I remember when the holy father was in Mexico to canonize them," Cortez said of the six priests. "This is a wonderful opportunity for all Catholics. We are very fortunate to be able to experience this."

The relics allow Catholics throughout Cochise County to become close to a part of the Church's history.

"To have the saints in here is just very special," said Bryant Sayers, color corps commander for the Knights of Columbus' St. Francis of Assisi Assembly at St. Andrews. "This church is only a month old and to have the saints here is very inspirational."

At the conclusion of the church's noon mass, Adolf was presented with a portrait of the six martyrs by the Knights of Columbus, a gift to him and St. Andrew Church.

"What a beautiful commemoration of the relics," the priest said, deeply moved by the gift. "We will always remember the day that the martyred priests came to us."