Blessed BRAULIO MARIA CORRES and his COMPANIONS, martyrs

 

The Order commemorates Blessed Braulio Maria Corres, Federico Bubio and their 69 martyred companions, who were beatified in Rome on 25 October 1992, and Blessed Mauricio Iñiguez de Heredia and his 23 martyred companions, beatified in Tarragona (Spain) on 13 October 2013. These 95 Brothers of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God, of various nationalities, performed their apostolate in various parts of Spain and were martyred on different dates between 1936 and 1939. Their names are:

 

71 beatified by the Holy Father John Paul II in Rome on 25 July 1992.

 

   4       from the Talavera de la Reina Community (Toledo);

- Bl. Primo de San Vicente Martínez Castillo,

- Bl. Fr Federico Rubio Álvarez,

- Bl. Gerólamo Ochoa Urdangarín,

- Bl. Juan de la Cruz Delgado Pastor.

 

15        from the Calafell Community (Tarragona):

            - Bl. Julián Carrasquer Fos,

            - Bl. Fr Braulio María Corres Díaz De Cerio,

            - Bl. Eusebius Forcades Ferraté,

            - Bl. Constantino Roca Huguet,

            - Bl. Benito José Labre Mañoso Gonzáles,

            - Bl. Vicente de Pablo Canelles Vives,

            - Bl. Tomás Urdanos Aldaz,

            - Bl. Rafael Flamarique Salinas,

            - Bl. Antonio Llauradó Parisi,

            - Bl. Manuel López Orbara,

            - Bl. Ignacio Tejero Molina,

            - Bl. Enrique Beltrán Llorca,

            - Bl. Domingo Pitarch Gurrea,

            - Bl. Antonio Sánchiz Silvestre,

            - Bl. Manuel Jiménez Salado.

 

7                 from Colombia (living in Madrid):

Bl. Rúben de Jesús López Aguilar,

Bl. Arturo Ayala Niño,

Bl. Juan Bautista Velázquez Peláez,

Bl. Eugenio Ramírez Salazar,

Bl. Estéban Maya Gutiérrez,

Bl. Melquiades Ramírez Zuloaga,

Bl. Caspar Páez Perdomo.

 

24        from the Ciempozuelos Community (Madrid),

12        from the Carabanchel Alto Community Madrid),

  6        from the Barcelona and Sant Boi de Llobregat Communities,

3          from the Madrid Community (San Rafael).

24 beatified by Pope Francis in Tarragona on 13 October 2013.

  2  from the Manresa Community (Barcelona),

  1  from the Ciempozuelos Community (Madrid),

  1  from the Madrid Community (San Rafael),

  1  from the Calafell Community (Tarragona),

11  from the Valencia Community,

8  from the Málaga Community.

 

For this latter group of Brothers. the Peculiar Congress of Theological Consultors was held on 19 February 2013, and the Ordinary Session of Cardinals and Bishops on 4 June 2013, which issued a favourable opinion, acknowledging their killing in odium fidei.

Heedless of the danger, which was drawing closer and becoming ever more threatening by the day, they remained at their posts, continuing to care for the sick and physically and mentally disabled people in their Institutes with their customary dedication and fidelity to their Hospitaller charism. Undaunted by insults and death threats, they voluntarily accepted martyrdom for upholding and professing their faith and continuing to perform their works of charity for the sick and the poor.

They included one Cuban and seven Colombian Brothers, who were working in the Ciempozuelos Community. They are the first Blesseds in the history of Colombia.

The Superior General at the time, Brother Narciso Durchein, in a letter written to the Communities of the Brothers, told them among other things: "Given the most grave political situation in the country, the Brothers shall not abandon the care of the sick until the authorities take over responsibility for them". He urged them to remain at the bedside of the sick until they were forced to abandon them.

They obeyed the instructions of the Superior General, and were taken prisoner and executed by firing squad.

Their liturgical Feast Day is 25 October.