St Rafael Arnáiz Barón
Rafael was born in 1911. He joined the monastery of San Isidro, Duenas in 1934, having completed his architectural studies, but was diagnosed with diabetes within a few months and had to leave. He attempted to resume monastic life three times but could not stay due to his ill health. He returned for a final time in 1938 but died on 26 April of that year. The letters he had written in the final year of his life reveal his faith and holiness in the face of suffering and contradiction. He was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Blessed Marie-Joseph Cassant
Pierre-Joseph was born in France in 1878. He struggled at school with learning difficulties and from the age of 14 wanted to become a priest but was not accepted at the seminary. Pierre-Joseph Cassant entered the monastery of Sainte-Marie du Désert at the end of 1894, receiving the name of Marie-Joseph. He found the studies in the monastery difficult but used to repeat to himself “all for Jesus, all through Mary”. After a short break for military service he returned to the monastery. Despite several difficulties he was ordained as a priest on 12 October 1902 however he had contracted tuberculosis and his health deteriorated rapidly. He died on 17 June 1903. Marie Joseph was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 3 October 2004.
Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
Maria was born in Sardinia in 1914. Her father and some of her brothers died while she was still a child. He sister died when Maria was 18 moved her to deepen her faith. She became a member of the movement ‘Catholic Action’. In 1835 Maria entered the monastery of Grottaferrata near Rome taking the name Maria Gabriella. The Abbess had promoted ecumenism within the community and during the week of prayer for Christian Unity in 1938 Maria Gabriella offered herself as a spiritual sacrifice. Shortly afterwards she contracted tuberculosis. Maria Gabriella deid on 23 April 1939. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 25 January 1983.
Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
Iwene Tansi was born in Nigeria in 1903. His parents were not Christian but he was baptised in 1912 and given the name Michael. He trained and worked as a teacher but later joined the seminary and was ordained for the diocese of Onitsha in 1937 where he served with great zeal for 13 years. He felt a call to lead a more contemplative life and desired to bring monastic life to Nigeria. In 1950 he entered the monastery of Mt St Bernard in England where he was given the name Cyprian. When Mt St Bernard made a foundation in Cameroon in 1963 Cyprian was named as Novice Master of the new monastery, but he was unable to travel because of his ill health. He died on 20 January 1964. Cyprian Michael Iwene was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22 March 1983, the first Nigerian to receive beatification.
Martyrs of Viaceli
In 1936 15 monks from the monastery of Viaceli in Spain were killed as part of the religious persecution at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The monastery of Viaceli was founded in 1903 and by 1936 numbered 60 monks. On 8 September of that year the 40 remaining monks were forcibly removed from the monastery, two of them were shot a fortnight later while 12 others were bound and drowned in the sea at the beginning of December and one other was executed at the end of the month. They were all killed because of their Christian faith and because they were monks. They were beatified on 3 October 2015, at the cathedral in Santander.
Atlas Martyrs
In March 1996, seven monks from the monastery of Our Lady of Atlas, near the village of Tibhirine in Algeria, were abducted by a radical faction of the Islamic fundamentalist GIA. The monastery had been founded in 1934 by monks from France and six of the seven monks who were killed had transferred to Tibhirine from monasteries in France. Under the leadership of the Prior, Dom Christian de Chergé community had decided to remain at the monastery despite the danger and risk of death. The monks were executed on 21 May 1996. Their funeral Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Algiers and they were buried in the cemetery of their monastery at Tibhirine. They were beatified together with 12 other Algerian martyrs in Oran on 8 December 2018.