Pope recognises the martyrdom of 49 Spanish Montfort Brothers of Saint Gabriel

On 27 April 2026, on the eve of the feast of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, Pope Leo XIV authorised the promulgation of decrees recognising the martyrdom of 49 Spanish Montfort Brothers of Saint Gabriel (Institute of the Brothers of Christian Instruction of Saint Gabriel), through Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

The list of martyrs of the faith includes the Servants of God, Brother Stanislao Ortega García and his 48 companions, along with their chaplain. They were killed between July and November 1936, out of hatred for the Christian faith, in various locations across Catalonia, Spain. The promulgation of the decree marks a step forward in their respective causes for canonisation.

The 49 Brothers were dedicated to providing a Christian education to young people. This made them particularly visible in a context of violence directed against the Church. They were arrested in their communities or schools and executed by Republican militias solely because of their religious beliefs. The Church recognises their deaths as martyrdom motivated by hatred of the faith (in odium fidei). Recognising these companions collectively highlights the communal dimension of their witness: they shared the same vocation and the same unwavering commitment, even to the point of sacrifice.

Brother Dionigi Taffarello, Superior General of the Montfort Brothers of Saint Gabriel, in his letter to the Brothers, Associates, Collaborators, and the Montfortian Family, expressed the long wait of the confreres from the Province of Spain for this good news. He also thanked the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, through His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, for advancing the cause of beatification of the Spanish Brother Martyrs.

The Superior General further thanked all those who made significant contributions to the cause of beatification of the Brother Martyrs. He first expressed gratitude to Brothers Juan Ciérvide and José Paniego, who carried out remarkable work in gathering documents and testimonies proving the martyrdom of the Spanish confreres. He also conveyed special thanks to the postulators who followed and accompanied the beatification process: Sister María Luisa Labarta of the Pious Schools, Monsignor José Jaime Brosel, Brother Antonio Martínez, Marist, and especially Dr Nicola Gori, who in recent years gave decisive impetus to the positive conclusion of the cause.

He invited all the communities and educational institutions of the Montfort Brothers of Saint Gabriel to celebrate this extraordinary event with a triduum of prayer, giving thanks to God for the recognition granted to the Brother Martyrs.

Bro. Louis Anthonysamy

Sources:

• Tribune Chrétienne

• Letter of the Superior General, Montfort Brothers of Saint Gabriel, Madrid, 27 April 2026

• Vatican Press Office

• Vatican News