The 522 Spanish Martyrs were victims of the Spanish Civil War beatified by the Roman Catholic Church on 13 October 2013 by Pope Francis. It was one of the largest number of persons ever beatified in a single ceremony in the Church's 2000-year history. They originated from all parts of Spain. Their ages ranged from 18 to 86 years old.
The ceremonies were held by Cardinal Angelo Amato in Complex Educatiu, Tarragona, Spain. One-third of those beatified served in the Diocese of Tarragona, that is, one hundred forty-seven martyrs, including auxiliary bishop, Manuel Borrás and sixty-six diocesan priests.
The 522 martyrs include three bishops, 82 diocesan priests, three seminarians, 15 priests who belonged to the Brotherhood of Diocesan Priest Workers, 412 religious, and seven laity. They were from all parts of Spain, as well as Colombia, Cuba, the Philippines, and Portugal. The largest group (147) came from Tarragona. L’Osservatore Romano noted that some martyrs were killed in Asturia in 1934, two years before the Spanish Civil War began. The youngest was Jose Sanchez Rodriguez, a Carmelite novice, who was 18 years of age when he was killed against the wall of a cemetery in Madrid at dawn on August 18, 1936. The oldest was Servite Sister Aurora Lopez Gonzalez, was executed aged 86.
The 522 martyrs were advanced in 33 separate causes :
Mariano Alcala Perez and 18 Companions from the Mercedarian Province of AragonManuel Basulto Jimenez, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaén, and 5 Companions from the Diocesan clergy and lay faithful of JaenManuel Borras Ferre and 146 Companions from the clergy and religious of the Archdiocese of TarragonaRaymundo Joaquín Castano Gonzalez, professed priest, DominicansJosé María Gonzalez Solis, professed priest, DominicansMelchora Adoración Cortes Bueno and 14 Companions from the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in the Archdiocese of MadridAntonio Faundez Lopez and 3 Companions from the Franciscan Friars Minors and Clergy of the Diocese of CartagenaTeófilo Fernandez de Legaria Goni and 4 Companions from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Picpus)Ricardo Gil Barcelon, professed priest, Sons of Divine ProvidenceAntonio Isidoro Arrue Peiro, layperson of the archdiocese of Valencia; postulant, Sons of Divine ProvidenceCrisanto Gonzalez Garcia, Aquilino Baro Riera, Cipriano José Iglesias Banuelos, Guzmán Becerril Merino and 64 Companions from the Marist Brother of the Schools from the Dioceses of Madrid and CuencaMaría Asumpta Gonzalez Trujillano and 2 Companions from the Franciscan Missionaries of the Mother of the Divine ShepherdJosé Xavier Gorosterratzu Jaunarena and 5 Companions from the Redemptorists of CuencaJoseph Guardiet Pujol, priest of the Archdiocese of BarcelonaJoan Huguet Cardona, priest of the Diocese of MinorcaSalvi Huix Miralpeix, priest of the Oratorians; Bishop of LleidaMauricio Iniguez de Heredia Alzola, and 23 Companions from the Hospitallers of Saint John of God of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and MalagaHermenegildo Iza Aregita of the Assumption and 5 Companions from the Trinitarians of Ciudad RealJoaquín Jovani Marin and 14 Companions from the Diocesan Laborer Priests of Sacred Heart of JesusAlberto María Marco Aleman, Agustín María Garcia Tribaldos and 23 Companions from the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance and the De La Salle Brothers of MadridJosefa Martines Perez and 12 Companions from the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and lay faithful of ValenciaJosé Máximo Moro Briz and 4 Companions from the Diocesan Clergy of AvilaCarmelo Moyano Linares and 9 Companions from the Carmelites of Ancient Observance of CordobaJoseph Nadal Guiu, priest of the Diocese of LleidaJosé Jordan Blecua, priest of the Diocese of LleidaMauro Palazuelos Maruri and 17 Companions from the Benedictines of El PueyoJaume Puig Mirosa and 19 Companions from the Sons of the Holy Family and lay faithful of CatalunyaJosé María Ruiz Cano, Jesús Aníbal Gomez y Gomez, Tomás Cordero y Cordero and 13 Companions from SiguenzaManuel Sanz Dominguez of the Holy Family, professed priest, Hieronymites; restorerOrencio Luis Sola Garriga and 19 Companions, along with Antonio Mateo Salamero from De La Salle Brothers, Diocesan Clergy and lay faithful of MadridVictoria Valeverde Gonzalez, professed religious, Calasanzian Institute, Daughters of the Divine ShepherdessFortunato Velasco Tobar and 13 Companions from the Congregation of the Missions (Vincentians)Joan of Jesus Vilaregut Farre and 4 Companions from the Discalced Carmelites and the Diocesan Clergy of UrgellMother Aurelia Arambarri Fuente of the Servants of Mary, Ministers of the Sick, was born in Vitoria, Álava, Spain on October 23, 1866. She was appointed Superior of the community of Guanajuato, Mexico, at the time of the Mexican Revolution, and was transferred back to Spain in 1916. By 1934 she suffered from progressive paralysis and lived in the Infirmary of the Motherhouse in Madrid. In July, 1936, the Motherhouse was taken over, and the Sisters had to be dispersed. Mother Aurelia, Sisters Aurora López González, Daría Andiarena Sagaseta, and Augustina Peña Rodríguez were taken in by a family, but were recognized as religious. They died probably on the night of 6 December in Aravaca (Madrid).On July 23, 1936, Mother Maria of Monserrat (Josefa Pilar García y Solanas) (64), Mother Margarita of Alacoque of San Ramon, (Raimunda Ors Torrents) (74), Sister Josefa del Purísimo Corazón de Maria (Josefa Panyella and Doménech) (65), Mother Maria of Asuncion (Dolores Vilaseca and Gallego) (65), Sister Trinidad (Teresa Rius and Casas)(61), Sister Maria of San Enrique (Maria Montserrat Ors and Molist) (46), Sister Maria of the Mercedes (Mercedes Mestre Trinché) (47), Sister Filomena of Saint Francis of Paola (Ana Ballesta and Gelmá) (41), and Sister Maria de Jesus (Vicenta Jordá and Martí) (37), of the Minim Nuns of the Monastery of Barcelona were killed.Father José María of Manila (Eugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera), born in the Philippines, was 55 when he was executed on 17 August 1936, at the gardens of the Cuartel de la Montaña, a military building in Madrid. Thirty-one Franciscan Capuchins of Madrid, Asturias, Cantabria, Malaga, and Alicante were also among those martyred during the war.
