CLARETIAN MARTYRS OF BARBASTRO
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Transcript of CLARETIAN MARTYRS OF BARBASTRO
CLARETIAN MARTYRS OF BARBASTRO
Tomorrow, August 14, we will die martyrs. Keep in mind that we die on the eve of the Assumption.What a day!We die because we wear the cassock. And we die precisely on the anniversary that we received it.
--Faustino Pérez
Who are Who are they?they?
3 of them were only 21 years old.
They were 51 Claretian
Missionaries.They were killed in August 1936 because of hatred of the faith.
All of them were from the seminary
of Barbastro (Spain).
It was a big community with 60
people.9 were priests…
From the 12 Brothers in the community, 5 died
martyrs.
And 39 were seminarians
Two Argentineans were spared because they
were foreigners…
Only 9 of these martyrs were 25 or above.
36 were younger than that.
Where Where did they did they
come come from?from?
• 25 from Catalunya. • 9 from Navarre. • 6 from Castille-Leon. • 5 from Aragon. • 3 from Valencia. • 1 from Cartagena. • 1 from Asturias.• 1 from La Rioja.
66
1199
552525
11
33
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Why Why were were they they
martyredmartyred??
Their families Their families were poor, were poor,
most of them most of them peasants. peasants.
• On July 20, 1936, a group of militiamen On July 20, 1936, a group of militiamen broke into the house of the missionaries broke into the house of the missionaries to check if they were hiding weapons to check if they were hiding weapons inside. inside.
But the main reason was the calumnies that were said about the
hypocrisy of the clerics and the menace they caused.
Perhaps the suspision came from the fact that the seminarians who were at the age of military service did some exercises in the public square to shorten
their stay in the barracks.
• No weapons were found after a meticulous search, but still all the missionaries were incarcerated.
• The three superiors were separated from the rest of the community. llevaron a la cárcel.
• The rest of the community were taken to a confined space at a school belonging to another religious congregation.
• There were no reasons nor political affiliation among our martyrs to justify their death.
• The millitiamen publicly said in front of the martyrs the reason of their hatred and condemnation: they were religious so they had to die.
”We do not hate you as persons; what we hate is your
profession.”
“I am going to be killed because I am a religious, that is, for following the doctrines of the Catholic Church.” (Ramon Illa cmf)
”I die innocent; I do not have any affiliation with any political party; that is forbidden in our Constitutions.” (Jose Brengaret cmf)
Their Their martyrdomartyrdo
mm
While in jail, their behavior was exemplary at all times.
Even separated from their superiors, they remained
committed and strong until the end.
They underwent all kind of trials
Freedom was offered to some. All of them were asked to join the militia and fight with them. Nobody accepted. None
of them gave up their faith or their vocation.
Water was rationed in the heat of summer.
Several times they
underwent fake
executions.
Prostitutes were brought in to seduce them.
Veinte el 13,
Finally, they were killed in different groups.
The six elders were martyred on August 12.
On August 2, they killed the three
superiors.
Another twenty on the 15th.
Finally, two who were sick in the hospital on the 18th.
Twenty on the 13th.
Convictions Convictions on on
martyrdommartyrdom
ForgivingForgiving
With joyWith joy
As apostlesAs apostlesLoving the Loving the Churh and Churh and
the the CongregatioCongregatio
nn
Loving Loving their their
familiesfamilies
Spirituality
It is difficult to imagine It is difficult to imagine that the martyrs could have that the martyrs could have faced martyrdom unless faced martyrdom unless they had a thorough they had a thorough formation and intense formation and intense preparation for it.preparation for it.
While in jail, their religious instinct guided them to affirm their spiritual
life above everything else.
The Eucharist was the The Eucharist was the center of their life, center of their life, specially during the specially during the time that they could time that they could receive it. receive it.
They were blessed with the They were blessed with the presence of a priest until presence of a priest until the very end, to receive the very end, to receive the sacrament of the sacrament of reconciliation. reconciliation.
Prayer, the recitation of the rosary and the office of the Common of Martyrs nourished
their spirit.
Fraternal encouragement and help was also a decisive
factor.
Conclusion
• From the very beginning the Claretian Congregation and the city of Barbastro judged these 51 Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as true martyrs . toda veneración ha conservado sus restos y su memoria.
• Many have found in them an example and stimulus for Christian life, and have taken them as true intercessors before the Lord.
Reach out
with love