Along with the whole Church, Dehonians today recall the first Dehonian to be named Blessed: Juan Maria de la Cruz. He was shot on August 23, 1936, in Valencia (Spain), a victim of the Spanish Civil War. We honor him not only as a martyr, but also as an intercessor for new Dehonian vocations and of all vocation promotion work, as well as the patron of our benefactors.
John Paul II, who proclaimed him blessed, along with 233 male and female martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain in 1936 and 1939, said in his speech after the beatification that “the legacy of these courageous witnesses to the faith, archives of the Truth written in letters of blood, has sent us a heritage that speaks louder than that of shameful indifference.
“In your life of faith, no doubt, their example has encouraged you because you have their memory and, in some cases, also personal memories.” His memory remains alive not only in the Dehonian community in Puente la Reina (Spain), where about 30 members of his family will meet next Sunday to convey and share testimonies, but throughout the Congregation.
Here you can download the liturgical texts for today’s feast.
