The Editor

In this month, dedicated to deeper prayer for the Missions, we send Nuntia to you. We dedicate this Issue, for the most part, to the Spanish martyrs of the Congregation of the Mis-sion beatified this month. We ask your understanding, because it is a bit long. It is an op-portunity to know a little about these confreres, who bore witness to Jesus Christ and our charism with their lives. The biographical information of each confrere was taken from the website of the Madrid Province. For those who want to penetrate into the testimony of these missionaries further, here is the link: http://www.paulesmadrid.org.

The Beatification took place in Tarragona, Spain on 13 October. Our Superior General, G. Gregory Gay, came, accompanied by the Postulator General, Shijo Kanjirathamkunnel, to take part in the Beatification. Among the 522 beatified were 14 confreres, 27 Daughters of Charity, and a lay Vincentian woman.

Who are the martyrs? They are Christians won for Christ, disciples who have learned well the mean-ing of that “love to the end” that brought Jesus to the cross. Love in installments, love in portions, does not exist. Total love: and when one loves, one loves to the end. On the cross, Jesus felt the weight of death, the weight of sin, but trusted entirely in the Father, and forgave. As soon as he spoke the words, he handed over his life. Christ “went before us” in love; the martyrs have imitated Him in love to the end.

A brief excerpt from Cardinal Ángelo Amato’s homily at the Beatification in Tarragona

What message do the ancient and the modern martyrs offer us?

They leave us a double message. First of all, they in-vite us to forgive. Pope Francis recently reminded us that “The joy of God is forgiving! … Here is the en-tire Gospel! Here! The whole Gospel, all of Christi-anity, is here! But make sure that it is not sentiment, it is not being a “do-gooder”! On the contrary, mercy is the true force that can save man and the world from the “cancer” that is sin, moral evil, spiritual evil. Only love fills the void, the negative chasms that evil opens in hearts and in history. Only love can do this, and this is God’s joy!”

Excerpt from the Message of Pope Francis

FORTUNATO VELASCO TOBAR (1906-1936) Fortunato was born in the village of Tar-dajos (Burgos), on 1 June 1906. He came from a large family. He entered the Internal Seminary on 18 September 1923. On 11 October 1931, Bishop Cruz Laplana y Laguna, another glorious martyr of the Spanish religious persecu-tion, imposed his hands on him.

Ready to go “where God wishes that Superiors send me,” he covered the communities of Murguía (Álava), Teruel and, finally, Alco-risa (Teruel), where he witnessed to his faith by shedding his blood on the dawn of 24 August 1936. He was 30 years old. To a disciple, who would become a Vin-centian missionary, he wrote from jail: “… I am waiting to be shot at any time. Pray for me … I will die a martyr in defense of the faith … I already have offered myself to God so that his holy will be done.” Imprisoned and condemned to death, Father Fortunato prayed to God for his assassins, forgave them with all his heart, and with the cry: Live Christ the King!, he collapsed in a hail of gun-fire.

LEONCIO PÉREZ NEBREDA (1895-1936) Leoncio, only son of José and Engracia, was born in Villarmentero (Burgos) on 18 March 1895. He entered the Internal Seminary on 29 August 1911. He made his perpetual vows on 1 January 1914. On 10 May 1921, he was ordained a priest. Given his qualities and dispositions for teaching and the education of youth, he was sent to the Apostolic School in Teruel, where he held the position of professor with complete dedication to the boys (1921-1935); after Teruel, he was assigned to Alcorisa, to accompany and help Father Fortunato Velasco in the task of the formation of the apostolic seminarians. Together they carried out the same mission until it was time to enjoy the “mission of heav-en.” On 29 July 1936, on the road to Saragossa, approximately three kilometers from Oliete, a crafty neighbor, feigning help, had him mount one of his horses and led him down a path, until they came to a solitary ravine.

Brother LUIS AGUIRRE BILBAO (1914-1936) Luis was born in Munguía (Biscay) on 19 August 1914. While very young, he lost his father and mother. About 1919 he was taken to the boarding school of the Hospital-Children’s Home of Guer-nica. The Daughters of Charity, on whom depended the service of the Hos-pital-Children’s Home, received him with the fondness of mothers.

He learned his first letters alongside the Daughters of Charity. On 29 June 1931, at the age of 15, he entered the Internal Seminary. He made his perpetual vows on 30 June 1933 and, with the best of dispositions, he headed to Alcorisa. On 29 July, while the community was still celebrating the feast of Saint Martha, they received confirmation that the militants were coming, shouting, into Alcorisa. With warmest regards all parted from each other. Soon the militants came to the res-idence of the Vincentians. Father Velasco and Brother Aguirre went out to welcome them and to wait on them with kind words and gestures. After coming face to face with the two inhabitants of the Seminary who had come to meet them, they forced them, by shoving and threats, to accompany them to the registry. Then he was shot. Brother Aguirre was 22 years old and was held by all acquaintances as a saint of stature for his simplicity. The martyrdom contributed to the people of Alcorisa pro-claiming publicly that a man of faith had died, one who was never ashamed of the gospel.

He then began to strike him on the head with the transport pikes that he was carrying, without giving him time to say a word of pardon. Father Leoncio fainted and fell unconscious at the first blow to the head. Not satisfied with the barbarity committed, the murderer continued hitting him with boul-ders. He then threw the body in the cleft of a rock at the edge of the ravine, throwing up a big slab and some stones. Father Leoncio was 41 years old. The neighbors always saw him as a great witness of faith and love; so they mourned his bloody death.

ANTONIO CARMANIÚ Y MERCADER (1860-1936)

Antonio was born in Rialp (Lérida) on 17 April 1860. In 1872, at 12 years of age, he entered the Diocesan Seminary of Seo de Urgel (Lérida). His first intention of being a diocesan priest was reoriented toward that of being a Vincentian missionary. When he was 19 years old, he entered the Internal Seminary on 22 February 1879. In February 1881, he made his vows. Anoint-ed priest in 1885, he was sent to the Mis-

sion House of Palma de Mallorca, where he devoted himself tire-lessly to preaching popular missions. The foundation in Rialp of a House-School of the C.M. in 1904 filled him with enthusiasm; he would be assigned there for a long time, 1909-1927. When the revolution was declared in July 1936, Father Car-maníu left Barcelona’s Central House and sought refuge in the county capital, until he found a safe place in his hometown. From hiding place to hiding place, he came to Estarón (Lérida); accompanied by a relative, he began to walk uphill toward the French border. When the militants found him, they suspected in him and asked for his pass. He was arrested and, without further ado, imprisoned in the Red Committee of the village of Estarón. At another stop they brutally forced him to drink drugged wine. It was ten or eleven on the night of 17 August 1936. The mili-tants sat the one to be executed on a pier. He was ordered to put his back to them, facing the current of the Noguera Pallaresa River, to which Father Carmaníu did not agree, responding that he would die facing them, praying to God for them. The assassins threw sand and gravel on his corpse so that, as the waters of the Noguera took it away, there would be no trace of his body. His fame as an undefeated martyr spread throughout the whole region and still today his aura comes to us, that of a “wise and humble” missionary, the glory of the Church. He was 76 years old.

IRENEO RODRÍGUEZ GONZÁLEZ (1879-1936) Ireneo, son of modest farmers, was born in Los Balbases (Burgos) on 10 February 1879. At the age of 12, he decided to direct his steps to the Mission House and the Apostol-ic School that the Vincentian Fathers had opened in Arcos de la Llana, in a former residence of the Archbishop. When he reached the age of 16, he spontaneously asked to join the Congregation. He made his perpetual vows on 3 June 1897.

He was ordained to the priesthood on 1 November and was sent to the Philippines. The grain of sand contributed by Fa-ther Ireneo in the formation of the Philippine clergy helped to raise up the greatest work that the Congregation of the Mis-sion had carried out in the Philippines. From the Philippines, he went to Cuba, and from there, at the end of 1931, he was sent to the Apostolic School of Guadalajara, where he main-tained the Marian and apostolic movements with a Vincentian spirit. Later in the year 1936, but before the outbreak of religious persecution, the educational community of the Central School of Guadalajara escaped to Murguía (Álava) in order to move to safety the young aspiring missionaries. Left to guard the School were only Ireneo Rodríguez and three community companions. A certain “servant” breathed deadly hatred against Father Ireneo and had sworn that one day he would cut off his head. On 26 July 1936, the militants detained and imprisoned the three priests and the Brother, together with other priests, religious, and Catholics. Led to the enclosure of the prison, there they were shot “in hatred of the faith,” leaving their corpses on the ground. Fa-ther Ireneo was 57 years old.

Brother NARCISO PASCUAL PASCUAL (1917-1936) Narciso was born on 11 August 1917 in Sarreaus de Tioira (Orense). His par-ents were Juan Antonio and Pilar. Nar-ciso was approximately 14 years old, when he asked to enter the Apostolic School, Los Milagros. After that, he was sent to the Internal Seminary in Hortaleza (Madrid) on 26 November 1933, eve of the cele-bration of the Apparition of the Miraculous Virgin. He made his vows the same day as the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, 27 November 1935. He was sent to Guadalajara twice during his ministry. He was in Guadalajara when he was taken prisoner with his community companions and on 6 December 1936 he died after being shot on the Camino de Chiloeches. Together with Father Vilumbrales, he was turned into ashes. He was 19 years old, but had a will of iron to do good.

GREGORIO CERMEÑO BARCELÓ (1874-1936) Saragossan by origin and from Madrid by adoption, he was born on 9 May 1874. When he lost his parents, he was moved to Madrid and placed in the Jesus Children’s Home, directed by the Daughters of Chari-ty. After a short stay in the Apostolic School of Teruel, he entered the Internal Seminary on 27 April 1892, at the age of 18. He pronounced his vows on 28 April

1894. He was ordained on 8 September 1899. At the celebra-tion of his first Mass, he was accompanied by some Daughters of Charity, who had been his educators and formators, for whom he kept a grateful and lasting memory. The newly ordained priest went to Valdemoro until he travelled to Porto Alegre (Brazil), where the Spanish Vincentians ran the diocesan seminary. In 1902, the Vincentians also established the foundation of Porto Alegre and Father Cermeño returned to Spain. Later he would be assigned to the school of Guadalajara, where the religious persecution found him. He alone dared to ask the executioners why they were behaving in such an inhuman way with persons dedicated to the service of the needy. Nobody answered him, but as a response he received a hail of gunfire. He was 62 years old. The corpses of Fathers Cermeño and Vilumbrales, with those of many other clergy and laity, were thrown into a burning fire, a fire that turned them into white ash, a fact reminiscent of the “massa candida” – white mass – martyrs of Utica, near Carthage, thrown to the flames for refusing to sacrifice to Jupiter.

VICENTE VILUMBRALES FUENTE (1909-1936) Vicente was born on 5 April 1909 in Reinoso de Bureba (Burgos). He was the youngest child of ten siblings, as he would be too of the priest-martyrs of the C.M. in Spain. His par-ents were teachers in the villages. Young Vicente entered the Internal Seminary of the Congregation on 14 September 1926.

While a seminarian, he left us his impressions of a missionary, fascinated by the 1828-1928 centenary of the Vincentians in Ma-drid. He made his vows on 27 September 1928 and received or-dination to the priesthood on 9 September 1934. Superiors de-cided to leave him temporarily in Madrid as a help to the director of the magazine, Reina de las misiones, but not for long, because in February 1935 we see him already settled at the Central Apostol-ic School of Guadalajara.

On 26 July 1936, Father Vilumbrales was detained with his community companions. Together they were led to the Cen-tral Prison, where they remained confined and suffered countless punishments and penalties. The Camino de Chiloeches crowned his life on 6 December 1936, confessing with his lips the faith that his heart practiced. He was 27 years old and breathed physical and spiritual health from eve-ry pore.

TOMÁS PALLARÉS IBÁÑEZ (1890-1934) A native of La Iglesuela del Cid (Teruel), Tomás was born on 6 March 1890. While a teenager, he asked to go to the Apostolic School that the Vincen-tians had opened in Teruel in 1887. He entered the Internal Seminary on 8 Sep-tember 1906. He made his vows on 9 September 1908 and was ordained to the priesthood on 29 August 1915. His first and principal ministry was the popular missions, preached on the island of Tenerife, 1915-1923. He returned to the peninsula in 1923, carrying out several ministries until the Superior General, François Verdier, named him secretary to the Extraordinary Commissioner, Father De las Heras, Visitor of Mexico, who had been appointed to visit the Prov-inces of the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity in Spain. The new Visitor, Adolfo Tobar (1930-1949), assigned him, in 1930, to the Diocesan Seminary of Oviedo, as Administra-tor, then Spiritual Director and Vice-Rector. What was less expected was the Marxist “octubrada” of Asturias, which trun-cated his career in 1934. The revolutionaries surrounded the Diocesan Seminary, making it the target of horrible gunfire. Most of the teachers and students were caught and led to the Police station and subsequently to a makeshift jail, a former barracks of the Civil Guard, along with other Carmelites and Dominicans. On 13 October, in the makeshift jail, there were two pro-voked explosions. After the first explosion they tried to es-cape. As Father Pallarés slid down the ropes, a hail of bullets hit him in the head; he lost his grip on the rope and fell to the second floor, where he died instantly. It was midday of Sat-urday, 13 October 1934. A post of iron from the streetcar cables, thrown by the second explosion, fell down on the body of Father Pallarés, burying it. Oviedo was baptized with blood, earning the name: “the martyr city.”

Brother SALUSTIANO GONZÁLEZ CRESPO (1871-1934)

It was dawn on 1 May 1871 when Salustiano came to brighten the home of a humble cou-ple living in Tapia de la Ribera (León), 25 km from the capital of León. At age 22, in 1893, he sought and obtained a placement in León’s Civil Hospital, where he was em-ployed as a nursing assistant for two years.

In contact with the Daughters of Charity, who served the hospi-tal’s patients, he discovered what would be his definitive voca-tion. On 28 October 1894, he presented itself to the Vincen-tian Community to make his Internal Seminary. He made his vows on 29 October 1896 in the Mission House of Ávila. From Ávila, he was assigned to Valdemoro and, from there, to the Diocesan Seminary of La Laguna (Tenerife) in 1900. Without leaving the island, he moved to the House of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1906, where he spent the longest stage of his life: 22 years, 1906-1928. Without expecting it, a new as-signment led him to the Theologate House of Cuenca (1928-1930). Finally, his last mission: the Diocesan Seminary of Ovie-do. On 13 October 1934 he died fighting the good fight of faith.

AMADO GARCÍA SÁNCHEZ (1903-1936) Amado was born on 29 April 1903 in Mos-cardón (Teruel). On 10 September 1917, he entered the Internal Seminary of the Congrega-tion of the Mission. On 2 May 1926, he was ordained to the priesthood. During that same year he was in the Mission House of Ávila, preaching popular missions. He was assigned to the newly found-ed house of Granada in 1927. He spent barely two years there when Superiors called again at the door of his availability to send him in 1929 Gijón, where he carried out an excellent apostolic mission, attracting youth. On 15 August 1936, he made his final exit. He knew that the persecution was growing worse and that at any time he could be surprised by the enemies of the Church and condemned to death.

ANDRÉS AVELINO GUTIÉRREZ MORAL (1886-1936) Andrés Avelino was born on 12 Novem-ber 1886 in Salazar de Amaya (Burgos). He entered the Internal Seminary on 3 July 1903. On 4 July 1905 he pro-nounced his vows. In 1911, he received priestly ordination in Santander. His name became famous in the whole region of Burgos, where he gave popular missions; he was known by the name of “Father Tasks.” He was assigned to Gijón in 1933. Father Gutiérrez knew the danger he was in in the new Gijón residence and knew that the same thing awaited him as his confreres in Oviedo if he did not seek refuge. His name was registered and they did not delay in imprisoning him. One unknown day, “they called at the residence of the Vin-centians of Gijón. Father Gutiérrez came out. They asked for him, to which he answered immediately: ‘I am he.’ And they took him.” Nobody knew where they hid him, for they wanted to sacri-fice him secretly, without calling attention to it. What is cer-tain is that on 3 August 1936, he was found locked in a make-shift prison in Gijón. About three o’clock in the afternoon of the same day, three or four militants snuck him out and drove him by car to the village of San Justo. No interrogation was needed to condemn him to death, because the assassins knew well that he was a priest. Without another word, they at-tacked him with merciless brutality, and he was sentenced to death with insults and abuse. At 50 years of age, he said good-bye to the inhabitants of this world.

On 24 October 1936, eve of the feast of Christ the King, the assassins entered very early in the morning and, with a list in hand, the reader on duty read the name of Comrade Amado, who stepped forward. He embraced Brother Paulino at once, saying to him: “Good-bye! Until eternity!” and, at the same time, directed a petition to the assassins: “Kill me, but do not do anything to this poor old man, who is only a servant of ours.” The 24th of October had not yet dawned, when they made him get in a car and drove him to Gijón’s municipal cemetery (cemetery of Suco, Ceares).

RICARDO ATANES CASTRO (1875-1936)

Ricardo was born in Cualedro (Orense) on 5 August 1875. He joined the Congrega-tion of the Mission on 11 May 1891 at the age of 15. Despite his young age, Superiors judged him ready to make his vows on 6 August 1893. In October 1899 he was sent to Mérida de Yucatán (Mexico), where he remained ten

years teaching in the Diocesan Seminary. In 1909 he left the ministry of seminary classes to devote himself entirely to cate-chizing the Mayan Indians until he headed to the United States of America. In 1914 he changed the geographical scene and settled in Fort Worth, Texas, at the service of the Mexican colony (1914-1924). Obedient to his Superiors, he went back to Spain in 1924, but with intention of returning to his Fort Worth assignment, once he had recovered his strength. However, the Superiors of Spain made him desist from his determination and sent him to the resi-dence of Orense and, a little later, to Gijón in 1935. It was four o’clock on the afternoon of 14 August when the Communists took all the prisoners to shoot them. Father Atanes was thrown like an old sack into one of the death trucks. Even if he tried to defend himself from the treatment he re-ceived, his poor health would not have allowed it. It was eve of Our Lady of Begoña in Gijón and it was necessary to celebrate the feast in style, sacrificing the lives of priests and monks. And they did, carrying the victims to the pine grove located in one of the beautiful hills surrounding Gijón, at the time designated by the name “Llantones.” Immediately, the prisoners were dragged by ropes to the ground and, put in row, a squad took charge of riddling them with bullets. It was 14 August. Father Ricardo was 61 years old and was always noted for his kindness to the poor.

PELAYO JOSÉ GRANADO PRIETO (1895-1936)

Pelayo José was born in Santa María los Llanos (Cuenca) on 30 July 1895. He joined the Congregation of the Mission on 8 September 1914. He was 19 years old. Just anointed priest to evan-gelize the poor, he received his first destination to Écija (Seville), where he gave himself completely to the preaching of popular missions (1923-

1927). He would do the same thing in the following destinations: Granada (1927-1929), Seville (1929-1932), Badajoz (1932-1935), and Gijón (1935-1936). On 19 August, on the occa-sion of having to go to La Corrada to preach, a Sister warned him not to go, for he would run a great risk, but he answered: “Obedience is necessary, because without it martyrdom is not possible.” Everything ran smoothly until, in the evening, the antireligious movement of militants, who reviled the Church and religion, began. Father Granado, on seeing and hearing it, suspended the re-turn trip to Gijón and told the parish priest: “How ugly it gets!” The killers most enraged against the Catholic faith mutilated some of the members of the body of Father Pelayo, while he offered his life for peace and concord. They struck and punc-tured him, while mocking him. They deprived him of his manly integrity and cut off chunks of flesh with a knife, which they then sewed with needles. On the night of 27 August 1936, they took him out of the pris-on to lead him to the Nalón River, passing by Soto del Barco. There, with a penknife, they again scored his back until he died, throwing his body into the river. In this way they fin-ished off the life of Father Pelayo, a man without deceit or malice, a friend of God and of men.

Live Christ the King!

ONATT Mathew Appointed / Assumed office on 24/10/2013

Visitor Province of India Southern

BONFIM DA CONCEIÇÃO Manoel Appointed office on 30/10//2013

Assumed office: 05/11/2013 Visitor Province of Rio

Nominationes / Confirmationes

IMOISILI Lawrence Ayemere Sac Nig 16/08/2013

CATAÑO CORRALES Christian Avelino Sac Col 28/09/2013

JIMÉNEZ MORENO Wilton Yecid Sac Col 28/09/2013

NIETO Edwin Sac Col 28/09/2013

PAYARES ROJAS Fernando Sac Col 28/09/2013

RODRÍGUEZ CABUYA Erwin Geovanny Sac Col 28/09/2013

RUÍZ MARTÍNEZ Domingo José Sac Col 28/09/2013

RAGONA Dario Sac Nea 05/10/2013

Ordinationes

Nomen Cond Dies ob. Prov. Aet. Voc.

DEBÓRTOLI José Sac 03/10/2013 Flu 79 60

ÁLVAREZ ARIAS Manuel Adan Fra 09/10/2013 Col 88 60

GÓMEZ CACHO Gabriel Sac 21/1072013 Cae 86 66

LAMER Marek Sac 25/10/2013 Pol 60 40

GOROWSKI Roman Sac 25/10/2013 Nan 68 46

DA FONSECA SOARES António Sac 30/10/2013 Lus 82 66

Necrologium