Manuel Barbal Cosan was born on Jan. 2, 1898, in Enviny, a small town at the foot of the Pyrenees in northern Spain. Known for his serious nature, he was only 12 years old when, with the blessing of his devout and hardworking parents, he entered the minor seminary of the diocese of Urgel. He […]

In 1934, Turón, a coal-mining town in the Asturias Province in Northwestern Spain, was the center of anti-government and anticlerical hostility in the years prior to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The Brothers’ school was an irritant to the radicals in charge of the town because of the religious influence it exerted on […]

Nicolas Barré was born Oct. 21, 1621, in Amiens, France. In 1641, he joined the Minim Order of St. Francis of Paola, where he taught philosophy while still remaining a deacon. After becoming a priest in 1645, he became a professor of theology and librarian. After falling ill, he moved to a convent in Amiens and later to Rouen. While he was […]

Jules-Nicolas Rèche was born into a poor family living in Landroff in the province of Lorraine. He left school at an early age to work as a stable-boy, a coachman, and finally as a teamster for a local construction company. Even as a young man he was known among his fellow workers for his piety […]

During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, seven Brothers lost their lives for the crime of professing and teaching the Catholic faith. On Oct. 10, 1993, they were beatified. More on Blessed Spanish Martyrs of the 20th Century