EUROPE: SPAIN: CELEBRATIONS FOR CLARETIAN MARTYRS

Agenzia Fides report – On Sunday, November 6 the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Claretian Martyrs of Barbastro (Spain) concluded. The Bishop of the diocese of Barbastro-Monzón, His Exc. Mgr. Alfonso Milian Sorribas presided the closing Mass, which was broadcast live from TVE La 2, in its program "El día del Señor". According to information from the General Curia of the Claretian Missionaries, among the concelebrants there was a large group of Claretian priests and members of the current community of Barbastro, as well as priests and religious men and women from other institutions, and many the faithful.
In his homily, the Bishop emphasized "the indelible memory of the Claretian Martyrs ", recalling the words of John Paul II on the occasion of their beatification and defining them as "admirable young men". The Pope described their earthly life: "All the witnesses we have received allow us to say that these Claretians died because they were disciples of Christ, because they did not want to abandon their faith and their religious vows". (John Paul II, Homily-October 25, 1992).
The Martyrdom of 51 Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (known as Claretian) of Barbastro, occurred on days 2, 12, 13, 15 and 18 August 1936. On 20 July 1936, the house that housed the community of Barbastro, with 60 missionaries, of which 39 students who were preparing for ordination, was surrounded and searched for weapons, to no avail. All its members were arrested. The three community leaders were shot without trial, at dawn on August 2. The others, suffered the same fate after being subjected to physical and moral trials. They were beatified by Pope John Paul II on 25 October 1992. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 08/11/2011)

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