The Oblate
Province of Spain has lived three days of intense celebration of the
beatification of the Oblate Martyrs. Oblates, Oblate Sisters, Lay Associates
and friends of the Oblates and especially, the families of the 23 martyrs (22
Oblates and a layman committed to the faith) came from different parts of Spain
and the world. Of particular note was the visit of Father General, Louis
LOUGEN, who took the opportunity to make a visit of all the houses in the Province
of Spain, traveling in a few days many kilometers of Spanish geography.
He was joined by
several members of the General Administration: Frs. Gilberto PIÑÓN, Warren
BROWN, Clement WAIDYASEKARA and Miguel FRITZ. Also present were the Spaniards, Fr.
Luis Ignacio ROIS ALONSO, General Councillor for Europe and formerly the
provincial of Spain, during whose mandate the postulation’s work in the
diocesan phase was completed in Madrid; and Fr. Joaquín MARTÍNEZ VEGA, the
present General Postulator who so ably managed to bring the Cause to completion
in Rome. Also, provincials from different parts of the globe have come (Italy,
Lacombe-Canada, the United States and Poland; there are also representatives
from many other provinces, delegations and missions of the Congregation
(France, Italy, Poland, Germany, South Africa, Cameroun, Lesotho, Brazil, USA,
Canada, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, the General House in Rome and the International
Roman Scholasticate), along with the Superior General of the Oblate Sisters, María
del Mar GÓMEZ MAÑAS. Many Spanish Oblates stationed in missions in other parts
of the Oblate world have come for this event with their Older Brothers, since
all of them had done their formation in this martyrs’ house in Pozuelo. The
Spanish Province, lead by its provincial, Fr. Otilio LARGO MACHO, were good
hosts for everyone, in an atmosphere of brotherhood.
The days leading
up to the event were for logistics and preparation: organization of the liturgy
at the Cathedral of Madrid, Nuestra Señora de la Almudena; meeting pilgrims at
the airport and at the train and bus stations; lodging them at the Provincial
House of Pozuelo and in the Diego de León community (the former Provincial
House of the martyrs); printing papers, brochures, etc.; and distributing
materials and pilgrim packets, as well as many other tasks. Fr. Eutimio
GONZALEZ, the coordinator of organization, responded generously and efficiently
to the task given him.
The Oblates of
Spain did not overlook the spiritual preparation: in the houses and the
parishes, there were prayers, vigils and meditations about the martyrs. Basically,
they used the materials that had appeared daily on our official web page.
On the 16th
of December, there began a sort of Sacred Triduum for those who would
experience these events in person; it began with preparatory vigil. This took
place in the auditorium of the school of the Sisters of Our Lady of Cluny,
located in front of the convent of the martyrs in Pozuelo de Alarcón.
The vigil began
at around 22:00 and filled the auditorium with 400 persons. For an hour and a
half, two Oblates, Fr. Javier MONTERO and Fr. DAVID MUÑOZ MEDINA, together with
laity from various Oblate parishes in Spain and friends of the Oblates, led us
on a tour of the history of the martyrs, through a clever combination of
prayer, drama, music, meditation and narration of how the story unfolded.
At the end, the
audience could not contain their excitement and they cheered the team that had
organized the vigil. Tears could be seen in the eyes of many. And they all felt
the enthusiasm caused by the example of fidelity left by the martyrs and the
desire to live fully this experience of the Holy Spirit which the Congregation
and the Church hopes that this beatification will be for each one of us. (Diego SÁEZ
MARTÍN)
