Final answer:
The priest famous for becoming a hero in Mexico's fight for independence is Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who started the movement with the "Grito de Dolores" in 1810 and is remembered as a national hero.
Step-by-step explanation:
The name of the priest who became a hero of Mexican independence is Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. He began Mexico's revolutionary movement with his fiery "Grito de Dolores" in 1810, raising an army mainly comprised of landless peasants. Although initially in the name of King Fernando VII, Hidalgo's proclamation demanded sweeping social change, which included abolition of slavery and returning of land to Indigenous people. Despite Hidalgo's execution in 1811, his legacy persisted, with Mexico celebrating September 16, the day of his Grito de Dolores, as its Independence Day. Another key figure in the independence movement with similar background was José Maria Morelos who continued this fight for freedom and social change after Hidalgo's death.