Vatican City, Oct 25, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The Prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, will beatify eight martyrs of the Spanish Civil War on October 29 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Sister Maria de los Angeles Ginar Marti and Father Josep Tapies i Sirvant and his 6 companions will be beatified during the ceremony on Saturday. Father Josep and his companions were arrested and shot on August 13, 1936. His cause for beatification was opened in 1946, and in 1992, the bishop of Urgell decided to include his six companions in the cause. The remains of all seven were exhumed on November 24, 1938 and given proper burial in the town of La Pobla de Segur.
Sister Maria de los Angeles Ginar Marti of the Congregation of Zealous Sisters of Eucharistic Devotion, was born in Mallorca on April 3, 1894.
She was killed by republican soldiers after being driven out of her convent in Dehesa de la Villa. Her remains were found in a mass grave and are now buried at the congregation’s convent in Madrid.
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted official recognition of their martyrdom in April of 2004.