Piarist Martyrs of Spain (1936)

Feast: September 22

Blessed Piarist Martyrs of Spain (Spanish, 13 men [11 priests and 2 brothers, members of Clerks Regular of the Pious Schools], martyred during Civil War in 1936 [beatified 1995])

----- Bl. Alfred Parte Saiz of Cilleruelo de Bricia [Alfredo] (priest, died at age 36)
----- Bl. Charles Navarro Miquel of Torrente [Carlos] (priest, died at age 25)
----- Bl. David Carlos Maranon of Asarta (brother, died at age 28)
----- Bl. Dennis Pamplona Polo [Dionisio] (died at age 68)
----- Bl. Emmanuel Segura Lopez of Almonacid de la Sierra [Manuel] (priest, died at age 55)
----- Bl. Faustino Oteiza Segura of Ayegui (priest, died at age 46)
----- Bl. Florentino Felipe Naya of Alquezar (brother, died at age 79)
----- Bl. Francis Carceller Galindo of Forcall [Francisco] (priest, died one day before 35th birthday)
----- Bl. Henry Canadell Quintana of Olot [Enrique] (priest, died at age 46)
----- Bl. Ignatius Casanovas Perramon of Igualada [Ignacio] (priest, died at age 43)
----- Bl. John Agramunt Rivera of Almazora [Juan] (priest, died at age 32)
----- Bl. Joseph Ferrer Esteve of Algemesí [Jose] (priest, died at age 32)
----- Bl. Matthias Cardona Meseguer of Vallibona [Matias] (priest, died at age 33)

July 28, 1936:  The Martyrdom of Br. David Carlos Maranon (age 28) and Fr. Emmanuel Segura Lopez (age 55)

On July 23, 1936, a radical group from the town of Binefar arrived in Peralta de la Sal with the intention of setting fire to the School. Br. David Carlos Maranon, a lay brother who was the cook and gardener of the community, together with the other Religious, novices and postulants went to the chapel of the Novitiate to receive absolution and prepare for martyrdom.
 
After finishing the prayers, one of the novices wrote: "Br. David, who was with us, went down to the entrance and looking through the hole of the key, he saw that in the plaza there were many children playing. He opened the door and asked them if they knew where those men were, those who had come in a truck with arms to set fire to the school. They told him that they had gone…” 
 
Br. David of the Blessed Sacrament had been born to a wealthy family and had served in the military. He told the news to Fr. Rector and the Community, and they had a moment of tranquility. He immediately went to the kitchen to prepare supper.  However, the men returned, and at 8:30 p.m., the Religious, together with the novices and postulants, were forced to leave the school, and they were put in Llari’s house. Bro. David arrived a few minutes later, together with the Fr. Rector, Fr.Dionisio Pamplona, who was guarded by armed men.
 
Inside Llari’s house, a religious and prayerful climate was maintained as they prepared for martyrdom. The Religious, three Fathers and two Brothers, were completely conscious of the fact that they were prisoners, especially after the execution of Fr. Dionisio Pamplona. They were expecting to be killed at any moment. On the morning of July 28, people from another place arrived at Peralta with the intention of killing the Religious that were there. Br. David and Fr. Emmanuel Segura Lopez of the Virgin of the Pillar were the chosen victims. Fr. Manuel worked at the Piarist School in Zaragoza and had a special ministry to young people who were discerning a call to priesthood or religious life. It was then July 25, the feast of St. James the Apostle, the first Apostle to be martyred for the faith.  After they were strengthened with the Eucharist and having the spirit of giving testimony of their faith, they embraced with affection Fr. Faustino Oteiza and Br. Florentino Felipe. After that, they went to the car that was waiting for them at the door of Llari’s house. They went through the plaza before the school and were impressed seeing the images and the vestments of the church spread on the floor. The statue of St. Joseph Calasanz was torn down and lying on the ground. He was very devoted to the Founder of the Pious Schools, and that vision was for him a cause of a great pain. In the same plaza, he received, as did Fr. Manuel, a slap from one of the young men who had ridden in the car with them. He accepted it without saying anything. While leaving Peralta, where he had spent five happy years of his Religious Life doing humble work in the kitchen and the vegetable orchard, he was giving thanks to the Lord because He had given him the grace of “doing something for Him.” In the martyrdom, he saw, too, a new occasion of giving Him thanks.
 
According to the testimony of Fr. Hilario Fernandez, a novice during that year in Peralta, it seemed that Br. David was not initially destined to die because he was not a priest and was known as a hard and exemplary worker. That is why he was told that if he wanted to save his life, it was enough to take off his Religious Habit. This gesture would have been sufficient to repair his past “errors”. But Br. David did not accept that proposition since for him it meant to renounce his own faith and his identity as Religious. He answered with simplicity, saying that they could kill him.
 
And so it happened that as soon as the car arrived at a certain place along the road going to the town of Gabasa, at a spot where they could see the town of Purroy de la Solana, he was obliged to get out of the car, together with Fr. Manuel Segura. After that, they were led to a holly-oak place, about 50 meters from the road.
 
What exactly happened there nobody knows for sure, except for the shooting and the burning of the bodies of the two martyrs. Some say that Br. David knelt down and waited for death in that position. One thing is sure: his face was looking to heaven and his arms were crossed upon his chest.
 
His body and the body of Fr. Manuel was burned after having been doused with gasoline several times. Of his remains, very few things were left: some ashes and some small pieces of his bones, which are now kept in the Piarist House of Peralta de la Sal. The sky was their only tomb, as the inscription says on their small monument, which was later erected on the place where they were killed.