A man who flunked seminary might seem an unlikely candidate to become America’s first recognized native-born martyr. Blessed Stanley Rother had trouble with Latin. He had considerably less trouble understanding what people needed—and putting his hands to the work. Sent from Oklahoma to a poor Mayan community in Guatemala, he learned its unfamiliar language, helped families feed themselves, cared for the sick, and became a beloved shepherd to people who had gone generations without a resident priest.

Then staying with those people became dangerous. In this article, originally published in Crisis Magazine, Sheryl Collmer follows the life of a priest who returned to his flock knowing it might cost him his life. Through his story and the documentary American Martyr, she considers the kind of love that makes a man keep such a promise. Most of us will never face his circumstances. All of us have a vocation, people entrusted to our care, and reasons we might be tempted to walk away. Blessed Stanley gives us a good reason to stay.