From 2006 until 2014, Fr. Joaquín MARTÍNEZ served as the Postulator General of the Congregation, while at the same time serving on the formation staff of the International Scholasticate in Rome. Fr. Joaquín died on 4 February 2017 in his native Spain.
During his years as Postulator General, he had the great joy of bringing to a happy conclusion the Cause for the beatification of the Oblate Martyrs of Spain, a Cause that he had worked on even before moving to Rome. The ceremony of beatification took place in Madrid on 17 December 2011.
Born in Spain in 1934, he pronounced his first vows as an Oblate in 1954 and then went to the International Scholasticate in Rome for philosophy and theology. Ordained in 1960, he exercised various ministries before coming back to Rome: Master of Novices, Provincial of Spain, and missionary work in Sahara, Romania, and Venezuela.
A devoted “blogger,” he posted news about the Oblate causes for beatification and about the International Roman Scholasticate. In one of his last entries in the IRS blog, he wrote: “Yes, maybe this is the ‘penultimate’ message I write on this IRS Blog. It is directed especially to the members of my dear community of the IRS, in diaspora. But not just them… As you well know, I am in Madrid following a chemotherapy treatment and this will continue for a while. Will I go back to Rome? Will I stay in Spain? Will the final stage of my life be Campo Verano [ed. Roman cemetery] or the Oblate tomb of Pozuelo? I do not know and I do not worry about it either. I only ask the Lord to preserve my inner peace and keep me in the joy of accepting this ‘willingly’, as the Saints say about unforeseen events. I made perpetual oblation many years ago and I ask for the grace of living the fourth vow “ad mortem usque” (until death). Pray for me, asking only for that: perseverance. I want to thank you all for your fraternal charity that encouraged me to live the Oblate ideal of community: “Cor unum et anima una”…”
