Feast of Blessed Joseph Calasanz Marqués, Enrico Saiz Aparicio and 93 Companions

Today marks the feast of Blessed Joseph Calasanz Marqués and 31 companions, and Blessed Enrico Saiz Aparicio and 62 companions.

On numerous occasions the Roman Martyrology refers to bishops, priests, religious men and women and lay faithful, women and men who during the Spanish persecution of the Church were crowned by a glorious martyrdom, who deserve to carry the palm of victory before almighty God and to take part in the eternal wedding feast with Christ their Spouse, obtaining the crown of glory for having borne witness to Christ. The expressions which are read on 22 September also introduce the memorial of the Salesian martyrs.

On 18 July 1936 the civil war broke out in Spain, accompanied at times by religious persecution. Laity, religious and priests were imprisoned and killed for their religious faith; among these 95 members of the Salesian Family: 39 priests, 22 clerics, 24 brothers, 2 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, 4 Salesians-Cooperators, 3 Salesian aspirants and one lay helper. All of them gave their lives for their faith in Christ between July 1936 and April 1938.

There were two Causes which led to the recognition of their martyrdom: that of the group from Valencia – 32 martyrs – led by Fr Joseph Calasanz Marqués († 29 July 1936), beatified on 11 March 2001 in Rome; and the group from Seville and Madrid – 63 martyrs – led by Fr Henry Sáiz Aparicio, who offered his life in exchange for those of the young people who had been entrusted to him by Divine Providence, beatified in St Peter's Square on Sunday 28 October 2007 among a group of 498 martyrs from the persecution in Spain.

They died giving an example of fidelity to their Christian faith and their Salesian vocation, trusting in God and forgiving their killers.

Almighty and eternal God,

who gave to the priests and martyrs

Blessed Joseph [Calasanz] and Henry [Sáiz],

and their companions martyrs

the grace to share in the passion of Christ,

come to the aid of our weakness;

and as they did not hesitate to die for you,

grant also to us that we may live courageously

in confessing your name.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever

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