Four Stories of the New Spanish Martyrs

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Courtesy of the Casa de Sarto, here are the stories of four of those martyrs beatified last week.

Mgr Laplana was Bishop of Cuenca in 1936 and was arrested with his manservant and his secretary by a group of militiamen. They were driven out to a roadside near Villar de Olalla where they were shot. Mgr Lapana received a wound to the hand as he was trying to bless his killers. After killing them, the militiamen mutilated their bodies.

Francisco Güell Albert, Parish Priest of Bellprat was arrested by militiamen who took him to Rocas de Paratge, where he was shot in the head and chest and was left for dead. Some local people found him and took him to the hopital at Igualada. However, tipped off by a doctor, the militiamen came to the hospital and took him to Pla de les Malles where they killed him.

Antonio Sierra Leyva, a former Administrador of Guadix Catedral was brutally beaten by militiamen in an attempt to make him blaspheme. As they were unable to do so, they doused him in petrol, set fire to him, and then buried him alive: throughout his agony he continued to reapeat “Father, forgive them”.

Perfecto Carrascosa, a Franciscan priest, fled from Madrid after three friars had been murdered, to the village of Villacañas where he had been born. He was arrested and brutally tortured by militiamen who wanted him to call his mother and the BVM whores. “My mother was not one, as well you know” he said; “and the Most Holy Virgin was always Immaculate”. He was badly burned by candles before being shot near Tembleque.

Holy Martyrs of Spain, pray for us.