Below is the text – in an English translation of the Latin original – of the Decree concerning the Martyrdom of the Servant of God Enrico Saiz Aparicio, Salesian priest and 55 other Confreres, together with three Cooperators, three aspirants and a domestic, killed “in odium fidei” in Spain, in the Provinces of Madrid and Seville, in 1936.

Congregation for the causes of saints

dioceses of madrid and others

beatification or declaration of martyrdom

of the servants of god

ENRIQUE SAIZ APARICIO

and LXII Companions

of the Society of Saint Francis of Sales

(+ 1936-1937)

DECREE CONCERNING MARTYRDOM

« I want to point out to everyone, so that it will never be forgotten, that great sign of hope represented by the many witnesses to the Christian faith who lived in the last century, in both East and West. They found suitable ways to proclaim the Gospel amid situations of hostility and persecution, often even making the supreme sacrifice by shedding their blood.» (John Paul II, Apostolic Post-synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Europa, n. 13: AAS 95 [2003], 658-659).

Among the witnesses to the faith who in the course of the twentieth Christian century followed the teachings of the Gospel to the supreme sacrifice of their blood, are certainly to be inscribed the Servants of God Enrico Saiz Aparicio and his 62 Companions from the Salesian Society founded by St John Bosco. In fact, while the Christian religion in Spain was being fiercely persecuted in the years 1936-1939, these did not fail to carry out the duties proper to their state, according to the situation of each one, preserving the ties of union and of obedience to the Holy Church, even to the extent of preferring to submit to death rather than deny the Catholic faith. All of them, even though they were killed in different times and circumstances generously gave their lives for Christ; some of them endured martyrdom in the Salesian Province of Madrid, others in that of Seville.

A. List of the Servants of God who suffered Martyrdom in the Salesian Province of Madrid.

1. Enrique Saiz Aparicio, professed priest. Born 1 December 1889. After his consecration to God by the religious vows in 1909, he was ordained priest in 1918. Aftre directing several Salesian houses, he was assigned to the house of theological higher studies at Carabanchel Alto, where the persecution caught up with him. Priest of outstanding virtue, he prepared for martyrdom with his confreres whom he helped until the end: in fact the fate of his companions was close to his heart, for whom, so that they might be freed from prison, he offered his own life to the militia. He was shot on 2 October 1936.

2. Félix González Tejedor, professed priest, was killed during the night of 24 August 1936.

3. Germán Martín Martín, professed priest, died a martyr’s death 30 August 1936.

4. José Villanova Tormo, professed priest, was shot 29 September 1936.

5. Pio Conde Conde, professed priest, killed by the revolutionaries 15 March 1937.

6. Miguel Lasaga Carazo, professed priest, sacrificed his life 6 December 1936.

7. Andrés Jiménez Galera, professed priest, killed 27 July 1936.

8. Luis Martínez Alvarellos, professed, candidate for the priesthood, died a martyr 6 December 1936.

9. Juan Larragueta Garay, professed, candidate for the priesthood, shot 6 December 1936.

10. Pascual De Castro Herrera, professed, candidate for the priesthood, killed 6 December 1936.

11. Virgilio Edreira Mosquera, professed, candidate for the priesthood, suffered martyrdom with his brother Francisco 29 September 1936.

12. Francisco Edreira Mosquera, professed, candidate for the priesthood, killed with his brother Virgilio 29 September 1936.

13. Pedro Artolozaga Mellique, professed, candidate for the priesthood, killed 1 October 1936.

14. Manuel Borrajo Míguez, professed, candidate for the priesthood, imprisoned and shot 1 October 1936.

15. Justo Juanes Santos, professed, candidate for the priesthood, gave the supreme testimony of faith and charity 28 November 1936.

16. Heliodoro Ramos García, professed brother, shot 6 December 1936.

17. Esteban Vázquez Alonso, professed brother, killed 6 December 1936.

18. Pablo Gracia Sánchez, professed brother, killed in the middle of December 1936.

19. Valentín Gil Arribas, professed brother, suffered martyrdom 27 November 1936.

20. Anastasio Garzón González, professed brother, imprisoned 6 September 1936, and subsequently shot.

21. Francisco José Martín López de Arroyave, professed brother, shot 9 November 1936.

22. Ramón Eirín Mayo, professed brother, killed 15 December 1936.

23. Juan de Mata Díez, layman, domestic, killed during the night of 1 October 1936.

24. Salvador Fernández Pérez, professed priest, shot 18 September 1936.

25. Sabino Hernández Laso, professed priest, killed 28 July 1936.

26. Andrés Gómez Sáez, professed priest, was captured by the revoluntionaries 1 January 1937 and then killed.

27. Carmelo Juan Pérez Rodríguez, professed subdeacon, killed 1 October 1936.

28. Esteban Cobo Sanz, professed, candidate for the priesthood, suffered for Christ 22 September 1936.

29. Manuel Martín Pérez, candidate for the priesthood, died between 6 and 8 November 1936.

30. Teódulo González Fernández, candidate for the priesthood, killed 8 September 1936.

31. Victoriano Fernández Reinoso, candidate for the priesthood, gave his life in witness to God in the year 1936.

32. Florencio Rodríguez Güemes, candidate for the priesthood, killed 6 December 1936.

33. Dionisio Ullívarri Barajuán, professed brother, killed 30 August 1936.

34. Mateo Garolera Masferrer, professed brother, confessed the faith shedding his blood 1 October 1936.

35. José María Celaya Badiola, professed brother, succumbed to ill-treatment suffered in Madrid prison 9 August 1936.

36. Nicolás de la Torre Merino, professed brother, shot at the beginning of August 1936.

37. Emilio Arce Díez, professed brother, was killed 23 July 1936.

38. Antonio Cid Rodríguez, professed brother, was killed 25 September 1936.

39. Juan Codera Marqúes, professed brother, captured by the revolutionaries while visiting a sick person, he was taken and shot 25 Septembre 1936.

40. Tomás Gil de la Cal, postulant, died a martyr 25 September 1936.

41. Higinio de Mata Díez, postulant, was killed 1 October 1936.

42. Federico Cobo Sanz, Salesian aspirant, was shot 22 September 1936.

B. List of the Servants of God who died martyrs in the Province of Seville.

43. Antonio Torrero Luque, professed priest, was killed for the love of God 24 July 1936.

44. Antonio Fernández Camacho, professed priest, received the palm of martyrdom 20 July 1936.

45. Manuel Fernández Ferro, professed priest, gave his life 24 August 1936.

46. Juan Luis Hernández Medina, professed, candidate for the priesthood, was shot 28 July 1936.

47. Antonio Rodríguez Blanco, priest, Salesian cooperator, suffered martryrdom 16 August 1936.

48. Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, Salesian cooperator, was killed 29 September 1936.

49. José Limón y Limón, professed priest, was killed 21 July 1936.

50. Enrique Canut Isús, professed priest, shed his blood for the Lord 24 July 1936.

51. Miguel Molina de la Torre, professed priest, was shot 28 July 1936.

52. Pablo Caballero López, professed priest, was killed 28 July 1936.

53. Antonio Mohedano Larriva, professed priest, won the prize of eternal life by shedding his blod with great constancy, il 2 agosto 1936.

54. Francisco Míguez Fernández, professed priest, was killed 15 August 1936.

55. Félix Paco Escartín, professed priest, gave his life in sacrifice 31 August 1936.

56. Manuel Gómez Contioso, professed priest, suffered martyrdom 24 September 1936.

57. Antonio Pancorbo López, professed priest, was killed 24 September 1936.

58. Honorio Hernández Martín, professed subdeacon, received the crown of martyrdom 28 July 1936.

59. Tomás Alonso Sanjuán, professed brother, shed his blood 31 August 1936.

60. Esteban García García, professed brother, crowned with the crown of justice 24 September 1936.

62. José Blanco Salgado, professed brother, received the reward of the kingdom 21 July 1936.

63. Teresa Cejudo Redondo, Salesian cooperator, wife of Giovanni Battista Caballero, with whom she had a daughter, was killed 16 September 1936.

All of these being considered by the people of God martyrs of the faith, and since with the passing of the years this conviction continued to grow the Archbishop of Seville decided to introduce the Cause of Beatification or the declaration of martyrdom with the Ordinary Process, which was concluded in 1956. Then in 1957 another Process was introduced in the Archdiocese of Madrid, regarding specifically those Servants of God who died in that circumscription. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, after having given permission in 1985 for the two Causes to be made into one, recognised the juridical value of the two Processes with two separate Decrees, that is that of the Diocese of Madrid 21 February 1992, and that of Seville 14 March. Subsequently, when the Positio was prepared, as is usual, there was an investigation into the presumed martyrdom of the aforementioned Servants of God. On 23 November 2004 the Particular Meeting of the Commission of the Theologian Consultors took place with a positive outcome. Afterwards in an Ordinary Session on 6 May 2006, the Cardinals and Bishops, having listened to the report of His Excell. Mgr. Javier Echevarría Rodríguez, Titolar Bishop of Cilibia, Presenter of the Cause, recognised that Enrico Saiz Aparicio and his 62 Companions were killed because of their fidelity to Christ.

When all that had been done was reported by the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI, accepting and approving the opinion of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on today’s date declared that:there is certainty concerning the martyrdom and the cause of the Servants of God Enrico Saiz Aparicio and 62 Companions of the Society of Saint Francis of Sales, “in casu et ad effectum de quo agitur”.

The Supreme Pontiff has directed that this Decree be published and preserved among the acts of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Given in Rome on 26 June 2006.

Iosephus Card. Saraiva Martins

Prefect

L. + S.

Eduardus Nowak

Secretary