TURÓN, MARTYRS OF, SS.

Also known as Martyrs of the Asturias, Martyrs of the LaSallian Christian Brothers, Cirilo Bertrán and Companions; d. Oct. 9, 1934, Turón, Asturias, northern Spain; both beatified (April 29, 1990) and canonized (Nov. 21, 1999) by John Paul II. They are the first saints of the Spanish Civil War.

Most of the 6,832 modern Spanish martyrdoms occurred during the persecutions of the Civil War itself (July 18, 1936, to April 1, 1939). In 1931 a mild revolution overthrew Alfonso XIII, the last Bourbon, and instituted a republic. To combat the entrenched power of the Church, anticlerical legislation was enacted, generally removing education from the hands of the religious or forbidding religious education. The government tried to placate the peasantry through land reform, but not vigorously enough to satisfy the extremists. Dissatisfaction led to strikes and uprisings, especially in the mining areas of the Asturias, where the nine Martyrs of Turón died about two years before the July 1936 insurrection. During the 14 bloody days of this first test of the revolution, 10 diocesan priests, 13 religious, and 6 seminarians were killed, including the Martyrs of Turón. They were caught in this political upheaval that was then fomenting in Spain.

Eight of the Martyrs of Turón were followers of Saint John-Baptiste de la Salle. They ran the LaSallian Christian School of Our Lady of Covadonga College in Turón for the sons of local miners. The last was a Passionist priest. After withstanding a victorious attack with heavy artillery on the forces of the Second Republic, revolutionary authorities broke into the house of the brothers on the pretext that arms had been hidden there (Oct. 5, 1934). The nine were arrested and held in the "People's House" over the weekend without a trial. The Revolutionary Committee decided that they must die because of their influence over the children of the region. A witness at their sentencing reported that the martyrs heard their fate calmly. On the evening of October 9, they walked to the local cemetery under guard while softly praying. There they were executed by firing squad. The cause of Jaime Hilario Barbal Cosan was attached to that of the Martyrs of the Asturias, but it is dealt with separately in this volume because he was not martyred with this group.

The bodies of the LaSallian martyrs were buried in the cemetery of Bujedo near Burgos (Feb. 26, 1935), but that of Father Inocencio de la Immaculada, buried in the cemetery of Mieres, was destroyed in the bombings of 1936. Their cause for beatification began in the Diocese of Oviedo (Oct. 9, 1944, to June 22, 1945), and the decree of martyrdom was issued in Rome, May 16, 1989. At their beatification, Pope John Paul II stated: "The Passionist priest met occasionally with the de la Salle Brothers. In that way God in his inscrutable providence wished to unite in martyrdom members of two congregations who worked in solidarity for the Church's one mission." The martyrs are:

Augusto Andrés, in the world Román Martín Fernández, LaSallian brother; b. May 6, 1910, Santander, Spain. An expressive child, Román joined the LaSallians after recovery from a grave illness (Aug. 8, 1922) and entered the novitiate (Feb. 3, 1926). After completing his formation (1929), he taught at Valladolid (1929–32), then completed his obligatory military service (1932–33) at Palencia. Brother Augusto was sent to Turón in 1933 when the school at Valladolid, to which he had returned following his military service, was closed by rebels.

Aniceto Adolfo, in the world Manuel Seco Gutiérrez, LaSallian brother, b. Oct. 4, 1912, Celada Marlantes (on the border between Cantabria and Castilla), Spain. The son of Pio Seco, Anceito is the youngest of the martyrs. He followed his eldest brother Maximino into the LaSallians at Bujedo, and he himself was followed by his younger brother Florencio. Manuel joined the house of studies (Sept. 6, 1926), then entered the novitiate (1928), and received the habit together with the name Aniceto Adolfo (February 1929). He became known for his mercy and diligence. After finishing his studies at Bujedo, Aniceto Adolfo taught young children in Valladolid (August 1932–October 1933). He arrived in the mining town of Asturias to begin his new assignment in October 1933.

Benito de Jesús, in the world Héctor Valdivieso Sáez, LaSallian brother, first native Argentinian to be canonized; b. Oct. 31, 1910, Buenos Aires, Argentina. His parents, Benigno Valdivielso y Aurora Sáez, came from La Bureba near Burgos, Spain. When life in Argentina proved unsatisfactory, they returned to Briviesca, Spain, where Héctor was raised. Héctor attended the city school, then the school of the Daughters of Charity, until he discovered and entered the LaSallian school at Bujedo (August 1923). Because of his brilliance as a student, he was sent to the international house of studies at Lembecqles-Hall, Belgium, with three companions. He returned to Bujedo to begin his novitiate (Oct. 26, 1926). He began teaching at Astorga (Aug. 24, 1929), where he won acclaim from parents and students for his teaching methods. There he began to write as a means of propagating the faith, La luz de Astorga (The Light of Astorga ). He also wrote beautifully about martyrdom in letters to his father, who had suffered in the recent persecutions in Mexico. He was sent to Turón in the summer of 1933.

Benjamín Julián, in the world Vicente Alonso Andrés, LaSallian brother; b. Oct. 27, 1908, Jaramillo de la Fuente near Burgos, Spain. Vicente's parents, Lesmes and Tomasina, were simple farmers who encouraged his vocation, evoked by a LaSallian brother who visited his school in 1919 to invite the students to become Christian educators. He was received at Bujedo (Oct. 7, 1920) at a much younger age (age 11) than usual because of his enthusiasm. He found his studies difficult because of his lack of preparation, but he persisted and entered the novitiate Feb. 2, 1924. He proved to be a masterful educator whose joy engaged his students in his first assignment at Santiago de Compostela (summer 1927). He was sent to Turón in the summer of 1933.

Cirilo Bertrán, in the world José Sanz Tejedor, LaSallian Christian brother; b. at Lerma near Burgos, Spain, March 20, 1888. Born of humble workers, José joined the order at Bujedo (July 12, 1905) and entered the novitiate (March 4, 1907). As Brother Cirilo Bertrán, he taught in Duesto near Bilbao (1909–10), the orphanage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Madrid (1910–11), Puente de Vallecas in Madrid (March–June 1911), Santa Susana in Madrid (June 1911–12), and many other places before making his final vows (1916). He served as director in Santander (1918, 1925), Riotuerto near La Cavada (1919, 1924), Valladolid (1930), and other places for 13 years. In 1933, he began his assignment as director in Turón with a 30-day retreat. He defied the government by continuing religious instruction and urging attendance at Mass.

Inocencio de la Immaculada, in the world Manuel Canoure Arnau, Passionist priest; b. March 10, 1887, Santa Cecilia y San Acisclo del Valle de Oro (between Ferreira and Foz near Lugo), Galicia, Spain. After joining the Passionists (1902), he made his novitiate at Peñafiel, Valladolid, then Deusto in Vizcaya. Upon professing his first vows (July 26, 1905), Manuel became Inocencio de la Immaculada. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1913. In additional to his sacradotal duties, Innocencio taught philosophy, literature, and theology at various houses: Daimiel (Ciudad Real), Corella (Navarra), Peñaranda de Duero (Burgos), and three times at Mieres (Asturias), the last time in September 1934.

Julián Alfredo, in the world Vilfrido Fernández Zapico, LaSallian brother; b. Dec. 24, 1902, Cifuentes de Rueda on the Esla River near León. Born into a humble, pious family, Vilfrido's uncle, a priest, convinced him to join the Capuchins at León. He was about to begin his novitiate at the Capuchin house at Bilbao when he had to return home because of illness. After a second attempt and a second illness, he decided to enter the LaSallian novitiate at Bujedo, Feb. 4, 1926. Upon completing his studies, he began his first teaching assignment (Aug. 24, 1929) and was renowned for his joy in teaching children. He professed his perpetual vows during the summer of 1932. The following September (1933) he was assigned to Turón.

Marciano José, in the world Filomeno López y López, LaSallian brother; b. Nov. 15, 1900, El Pedregal near Molina de Aragón, Guadalajara, Spain. Filomeno's parents were farmers, but his uncle was Brother Gumersindo, infirmarian at Bujedo, who inspired the young man's vocation. Filomeno did well in his studies at Bujedo, but had to return home due to a serious ear infection that left him functionally deaf. Although he was unable to engage in teaching with this disability, he wanted to serve the brothers in other ways. He retuned to Bujedo, entered the novitiate (Sept. 20, 1916) and made his first vows (April 3, 1918). He served as gardener and housekeeper in Bujedo, and sacristan in the Premonstratensian church nearby. Thereafter he was sent as cook at Terán in Santander (May 28, 1928), then to Caborana (Asturias), Valladolid, Colunga (Asturias), Gallarta (Biscay), and Mieres (Asturias). Before he was sent to Turón (April 1934) to replace a brother who was afraid to stay because of the mounting tension, he wrote to his relatives that martyrdom was likely in the current situation—and he was willing to die. He could have saved himself simply by stating he was a cook and not revealing that he was also a brother religious.

Victoriano Pío, in the world Claudio Bernabé Cano, LaSallian brother, b. July 7, 1905, San Millan de Lara near Burgos, Spain. His parents were farmers. He began his studies at Bujedo (Aug. 26, 1918) and continued into the novitiate (Aug. 30, 1921). Brother Victoriano passed nearly ten years (1925–34) at the school in Palencia, where he used his musical talents to teach others, formed a choir, and used music to motivate slow learners. He arrived in Turón about a month before his martyrdom to replace another frightened brother.

Feast: Oct. 9.

Bibliography: v. cÁrcel ortÍ, Martires españoles del siglo XX (Madrid 1995). j. pÉrez de urbel, Catholic Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, tr. m. f. ingrams (Kansas City, Mo. 1993). l. salm, The Martyrs of Turón and Tarragona: The De La Salle Brothers in Spain (Romeoville, Ill. 1990).

[k. i. rabenstein]