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The courage of faith MARIST COMMUNITIES IN TURBULENT TIMES [1936-1939] Lluís Serra Llansana Translator: Roberto Clark First Edition - September 2013 Copyright: Lluís Serra Llansana - 2013 Cover: Elisabet Serra Vendrell Exclusive rights Two possible formulas: All rights reserved. Total or partial reproduction, storage in computer systems or any method of transmission such as electronic, mechanical or photocopying of this book is forbidden without prior written consent of the author or copyright owner. All rights are reserved. However, its total or partial reproduction is authorized as long as the content remains unchanged, the source is cited, and there is no financial gain. Contents PROLOGUE .............................................................. 5 INTRODUCTION .......................................................... 7 CHAPTER 1. Marist Community of Les Avellanes (Lleida) You are placing the palm of martyrdom in my hand! ......................... 17 CHAPTER 2. Marist Community of Toledo I’ve been living with them, together with them I want to die! ......................... 29 CHAPTER 3. Marist Community of Valencia In times of peace as in times of war ........ 41 CHAPTER 4. Marist Community of Vic (Barcelona) We know exactly what we want and what it costs .................................... 51 CHAPTER 5. Marist Community of Ribadesella (Asturias) They’ll kill me because I’m a religious ..... 59 CHAPTER 6. Marist Community of Badajoz Faith is our first treasure ......................... 65 CHAPTER 7. Marist Community of Malaga The captain of the ship saves himself last ............................................. 69 3 CHAPTER 8. Marist Communities of Madrid May it be what God wants! .................... 79 CHAPTER 9. Marist Community of Chinchón (Madrid) We need not go to the missions .............. 95 CHAPTER 10. Marist Community of Torrelaguna (Madrid) To serve and love ................................... 101 CHAPTER 11. Marist Community of Villalba de la Sierra (Cuenca) Trusting Divine Providence ..................... 107 CHAPTER 12. Marist Communities of Cabezón de la Sal and Carrejo (Cantabria) The friend of the poor ............................ 113 CHAPTER 13. Marist Community of Barruelo de Santullán (Palencia) I have a fond memory of my brother ...... 121 CHAPTER 14. Marist Community of Barcelona The idea of abandoning never occurred to me ...................................... 127 CHAPTER 15. Marist Community of Denia (Alicante) Suffering martyrdom for God and the faith in Jesus Christ ........................... 131 CHAPTER 16. Marist Community of Arceniega (Alava) No fear whatsoever of dying for Christ ...... 135 CHAPTER 17. Marist Community of Mataró (Barcelona) The Consoling Angel .............................. 139 EPILOGUE .............................................................. 145 SOURCES .............................................................. 149 4 THE COURAGE OF FAITH Prologue By Brother Emili Turú We tell the truth, without rest, for the honor of serving, under the feet of all Salvador Espriu, The Bull’s Skin n the epilogue to this book, Brother Lluís Serra remarks that Ithe true stories he tells give rise to feelings of sadness, indigna- tion, and respect. He is right. You cannot remain indifferent, as I myself discovered when I read the book. But is there a way to go beyond what could be only skin-deep feelings? Brother Lluís himself suggests and invites us to silence, meditation, and prayer, the practice of which is, unfortunately, not too frequent in our societies. The events described in this book in such a brilliant and evoca- tive way are very sad, because they refer to the tragic death of 68 people, and we know that the life of every single human be- ing is sacred. We speak about them today, nearly 80 years after their death, because we want to tell the truth, as highlighted by Salvador Espriu, for the honor of serving the men and women of the Twenty-first Century. But as believers, we want to let ourselves be challenged by the witness of their lives, not only of their deaths. Their courage and dedication in such turbulent times encourage us to give our lives, and bear witness to the experience of God, just as they did. 5 Moreover, the fact of focusing each chapter on a specific com- munity helps us realize the wonderful gift of community life. This group of martyrs was in fact very aware of the community dimension. It becomes evident both in the way in which they lived fraternal life, as in how they underwent martyrdom. This book, clearly in line with the legacy of our martyrs, choos- es the path of forgiveness and reconciliation. And despite the violence of the facts narrated, it invites us to hope. Elie Wiesel, the Auschwitz survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, wrote a couple of years ago: “I still believe in man in spite of man. I be- lieve in language even though it has been wounded, deformed, and perverted by the enemies of mankind. And I continue to cling to words because it is up to us to transform them into instruments of comprehension rather than contempt. It is up to us to choose whether we wish to use them to curse or to heal, to wound or to console. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Brother Lluís Serra, for he has managed to use words as instruments of understanding, to heal and console. H. Emili Turú Superior general 6 THE COURAGE OF FAITH Introduction any people suffered violent deaths in Spain in the ear- Mly Twentieth Century, especially during the Civil War (1936-1939). Although several decades have gone by, the wounds have not completely healed. Those were turbulent times. Many suffered on both sides, and many were those who inflicted suffering. The Apocalyptic Horseman of Death, with sharp scythe, riding a white horse, went across the cities, villages and battlefields, leaving a path of corpses in his wake. There was great pain, and many families had their hearts torn apart. In the Marist Institute alone, 172 Brothers perished as martyrs of the faith. I have been given this special opportunity to tell their story. In order to mark the beatification of 522 martyrs of the Twentieth Century in Spain – 68 of whom are Marists, 66 Brothers and 2 lay men – taking place in Tarragona on October 13, 2013, the Marist Institute appointed an international commission to prepare the event. This commission, of which I was a member, asked me to write a book for the occasion. A complicated task… Besides the short amount of time, the great- est difficulty was finding a way to address such a sensitive issue. The risks are obvious: justifying the situation to the detriment of the victims, or using the victims to denigrate the executioners. Therefore I have followed a historical perspective focusing on the faith of the martyrs – the Greek word for witnesses. A real challenge indeed! Given that the topic concerns my religious family, the fabric of emotional ties is undeniable. Acknowledg- ing this is essential if it is not to interfere with the result. The task 7 involves entering into the past, not with nostalgia, but going to the roots of this story: Christ and his Gospel. Therefore, truth is undeniable, and so are the forgiveness of trespasses, love of enemy, fidelity to the call, the spirit of rec- onciliation, and the search for peace. Considering life from the Christian faith perspective means opening up a horizon of eter- nity within the coordinates of time and space. Life is impor- tant, though impermanent. Eternal life is the ultimate reality, in whose light the courage of faith is useless if it is not an expres- sion of love. Before you read the book, I would like to mention a number of elements that can make it easier to understand. They may be unnecessary for experts but are probably useful for those not acquainted with this subject. 1. The book covers only part of the story of the Twentieth Century Marist martyrs in Spain, which actually includes those who died before and, in particular, during the war, when religious persecution worsened. A total of 172 Broth- ers are part of this martyrology. The first group consists of Brother Bernardo, killed in Bar- ruelo de Santullán (Palencia) in 1934, and Brother Lauren- tino and his 45 fellow martyrs, killed in Montcada (Barce- lona) in October 1936. They were beatified in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI on October 28, 2007. The second group includes Brothers Crisanto, Aquilino, Cipriano José, Guzmán and their 64 companions, killed in different parts of Spain in 1936, who will be beatified in Tarragona on October 13, 2013. The third group, consisting of Brother Eusebio and his 58 companions, killed in different parts of Catalonia, is still in the process leading to beatification. 8 THE COURAGE OF FAITH The following pages focus exclusively on the second group, but we must not lose sight of the global picture, which is not fragmented into canonical causes and labels. 2. The socio-political, economic, and ecclesial context. To understand a fact, we must place it in its historical con- text. There are numerous studies of unequal value regard- ing this period and the Spanish Civil War as such. I will make use of them. This book will certainly offer a histori- cal glimpse and some guidance, but does not pretend to be a history text. It assumes that the reader has a historical framework regarding this period or can consult available sources. Many intertwined and complex elements come into play in a civil war. In this case, there was also a relentless perse- cution of Catholics for religious reasons, which generated many martyrs and stunned international public opinion. In addition to the social fragmentation between rich and poor, three problems were intensely felt in the 30s: the left- right ideological polarization, territorial conflict, and ten- sion between clericalism and anticlericalism. An overview of the current situation allows us to conclude that these problems, although presenting different nuances nowa- days, have not been overcome, have become chronic and, somehow, are still critically important. 3.

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