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

11

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

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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