Under the title “The Martyrs and the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” a Martyr’s Day was held on May 3rd on the Cerro de los Ángeles in Madrid to discuss the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the martyrs, and the Cerro de los Ángeles.

The day occurred at the Seminary to show that “the martyrs are a shining beacon that leads us to Jesus Christ. They are an important role model that we Catholics must know and, regarding their virtues, imitate.”

In the presentation of these days, Father Manuel Vargas, Vicar for the Cerro de los Ángeles, highlighted the role that the Cerro de los Ángeles plays as the Spiritual Center of Spain and that the martyrs continue to be, like all the saints, a magnificent aid to evangelization.

Martín Ibarra (historian, president of the Association of Friends of the Martyrs of Barbastro-Monzón, and director of the conference) gave the first presentation, entitled “The Hill of the Angels and the Servant of God Pedro Justo Dorado Dellmáns.”

Pedro Justo is one of the five martyrs of the Hill of the Angels who are in the process of beatification. According to the newspaper Ya of June 2, 1939, speaking about the funeral of these martyrs, it was stated that Justo Dorado was “the one who led them all.” Martín Ibarra reviewed the life of this young employee of the Madrid Bank, his apostolic work, his writings, his devotion to the Sacred Heart, and his eventual death as a martyr, trying to defend the monument, on July 28, 1936, along with Fidel Barrios Muñoz, Elías Requejo Sorondo, Blas Ciaerreta Ibarrondo, and Vicente de Pablo García.

Juan Manuel Rossi, IVE, priest of the parish of Our Lady of the Angels in Getafe, gave the second presentation on “The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Spirituality of Martyrdom.” He presented a more comprehensive view, focusing on the spirituality of martyrdom in general. He recalled a text from Lumen Gentium, which emphasized how martyrdom is considered a supreme gift and the greatest proof of charity. Although this gift is given to few, it is important that all be prepared to confess Christ before others. He reflected on two points: the martyrdom dispositions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and our way of disposing ourselves in the same way with his grace.

The Conference concluded with a roundtable discussion, “A Martyr in My Family and in My Community,” moderated by Fernando del Moral Acha, deputy of the Office for the Causes of Saints of the Spanish Episcopal Conference in Madrid. At this table, Teresa Esteban, niece and granddaughter of the martyrs of Pinto, who had come from Manresa (Barcelona) and brought holy cards from the private devotion of her two relatives, Don Manuel Calleja Montero, assistant priest of the parish of Pinto, and José Calleja Teruel, her father, spoke. Beatriz Arrizabalaga, niece of seminarian Mariano Arrizabalaga Español, and of María Teresa del Sagrado Corazón, a 24-year-old Carmelite, spoke next. Finally, Tomás Nart, vice president of Hispania Martyr and member of AMABAM, who came from Barcelona, ​​spoke about his uncle, the priest Don Pere (Pedro) Nart, parish priest of Monesma (Huesca, Diocese of Barbastro).

During the roundtable, participants discussed how the martyrs had influenced their spiritual lives and the conversion of family and friends, sharing moving anecdotes. Don Fernando joined them, recalling an event from his time as a seminarian related to the martyrs.

The Day concluded with the celebration of Mass in the Basilica and private prayer in the confessional chapel, where the bodies of the five martyrs of Cerro de los Ángeles rest.

The day, which was organized by the Association of Friends of the Martyrs of Barbastro-Monzón (AMABAM) in collaboration with the Vicariate for Cerro de los Ángeles of the Diocese of Madrid-Getafe, was held in a single day. Another Martyr’s Day is scheduled for Zaragoza on June 23rd. And from October 17th to 19th, the 13th Martyr’s Day will be held in Seville, under the theme “The Martyrs, Witnesses of Hope.”