“Let the grace of your baptism bear fruit in a path of holiness.”
– Pope Francis
Blessed Juan Maria of the Cross: A Bold Witness in Spain’s Darkness (1891-1936)
At the outbreak of civil war, Fr. Juan Maria went to Valencia in search of refuge. When he saw the church of Saint John’s burning, he stopped, horrified. Despite wearing plainclothes, he did not hide his vocation and exclaimed: “I am a priest”. A month later, on the night of August 23, 1936, he and other prisoners in Silla (Valencia) were shot and killed. On March 11, 2001, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II. His memorial is celebrated on September 22, and he is invoked as “Patron of Dehonian vocations.”
“I am very happy to be able to suffer for Him who suffered so much for me, poor sinner.”
Fr. Martino Capelli: Scholar Turned Wartime Hero (1912-1944)
As Nazi forces gripped Italy, this brilliant biblical scholar left his seminary teaching post in Bologna to comfort the wounded and oppressed. The SS arrested him for these acts of mercy, and he died with 44 others, executed after refusing to abandon those in his care.
“Allow me to be a martyr one day.”
Fr. Bernardo Longo: Heart of the Congo Mission (1907-1964)
After a brief mission in Argentina, Fr. Longo found his true calling in Africa’s heart. For 14 years, he built a thriving community in Nduye, deep within the Ituri jungle. When Simba guerrillas threatened in 1964, he chose to remain with his people, offering what would become his final act of devotion.
“The Sacred Heart at this moment gives me so much inner peace.”