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2. Martyrs of the Company of the Daughters of Charity

a) Diocese of Madrid

- La Puerta de Hierro (12 August 1936)

1.- Sr. Melchora-Adoración CORTÉS BUENO, DC, born on 4 May 1884 in Sos del Rey Católico, Zaragoza (Spain) and died on 12 August 1936.

2.- Sr. María Severina DÍAZ PARDO-GAUNA, DC, born on 23 October 1895 in Vitoria, Alava (Spain) and died on 12 August 1936.

3.- Sr. María Dolores BARROSO VILLASEÑOR, DC, born on 4 October 1896 in Bonares, Huelva (Spain) and died on 12 August 1936.

4.- Sr. Estefanía SALDAÑA MAVORAL, DC, born on 30 August 1873 in Rabé of the Calzadas, Burgos (Spain) and died on 12 August 1936.

5.- Sr. María Asunción MAYORAL PEÑA, DC, born on 19 August 1879 in Tardajos, Burgos (Spain) and died on 12 August 1936.

They were all shot near the Puerta de Hierro, at the entrance to Aravaca (Madrid). Their bodies, thrown into a common grave, were not found.

- Vallecas, near Madrid (3 September 1936)

6.- Sr. Dolores CARO MARTÍN, DC, born on 20 October 1893 in Granatula, Ciudad Real (Spain) and shot to death on 3 September 1936.

7.-Sr. Concepción PÉREZ GIRAL, DC, born on 10 January 1887 in Madrid and shot to death on 3 September 1936.

8.- Sr. Andrea CALLE GONZÁLEZ, DC, born on 26 February 1902 in Plasencia, Cáceres (Spain) and shot to death on 3 September 1936.

- Road between Madrid and Toledo

9.- Sr. Modesta MORO BRIZ, DC, born on 11 July 1901 in Santibáñez de Béjar, Salamanca (Spain) and died on 31 October 1936 at Km 6 of the road between Madrid and Toledo.

10.- Sr. Pilar-lsabel SÁNCHEZ SUÁREZ, DC, born on 5 November 1906 in Madrid and died on 31 October 1936 at Km 6 of the road between Madrid and Toledo.

These are the two sister-martyrs of the Province called "Hispano-French," all the other martyrs being from the Spanish Province.

- Las Vistillas

11.- Sr. Josefa GIRONÉS ARTETA, DC, born on 11 March 1907 in Garisoain, Navarra (Spain) and died on a date unknown.

She was taken by the militia men on 17 November 1936 and then, there was no more news of her. In 1940, the record of one of her companions shot in Las Vistillas and it is believed that she suffered the same end.

12.- Sr. Lorenza DÍAZ BOLAÑOS, DC, born on 10 August 1896 in Guía, Canary Islands (Spain) and died on an unknown date, shot in Las Vistillas.

13. Sr. Gaudencia BENAVIDES FERRERO, DC, born on 12 February 1878 in Valdemorillo, León (Spain) and died on an unknown date.

The militia men took her from a relative's house in order to have her make a statement along with Sr. Florentina who had been her superior in Puerto Rico. For two days they were left in the dungeon of the Security Headquarters then transferred to the prison of Toreno. Her state of health because worse and the sent her to the Hospital Saint-Louis-des-Français where she died giving great edification to all.

14.- Sr. Juana PÉREZ ABASCAL, DC, born on 20 October 1886 in Madrid and died on an unknown date.

It is known that she died during the trip which she took to go to Jaen in Madrid (the death train?) with the intention of staying in the house of Sr. Juana's family, but it is not known how far she got.

15.- Sr. Ramona CAO FERNÁNDEZ, DC, born on 11 September 1993 in Rua de Valdeorras, Orense (Spain) and died under the same circumstances as Sr. Juana Pérez Abascal.

b. Diocese of Valencia

- Llosa de Rames (15 October 1936)

16.-Sr. Josefa MARTÍNEZ PERÉZ, DC, born on 5 August 1898 in Alberique, Valencia (Spain).

Her generous soul revealed itself when her brother-in-law was detained in prison. She presented herself to the hired assassin saying "Let him go and kill me, he has three little children." Her brother-in-law was taken and killed. The hour of Sr. Josefa had not yet arrived.

It was 6:00 p.m. on 14 of October 1936, when the militiamen took Sr. Josefa and her widowed sister to lock them up in the town jail. At 11:00 p.m., they opened the jail and set her sister free. They opened the jail again and this time they took away in a truck Sor Josefa, three of her prison mates and a man. The truck stopped at the Bridge of the Dogs where the martyrdom of Sr. Josefa and two women took place.

- Bétera “Picadero de Paderna” (9 December 1936)

17.- Miss Dolores BROSETA BRONET, lay woman, born in 1892 in Bétera, Valencía (Spain). She lived with the sisters in the home for the elderly.

18.- Sr. Isidora ISQUIERDO GARCÌA, DC, born on 2 January 1885 in Páraino, Burgos (Spain).

19.- Sr. Josefa LABORRA GOYENECHE, DC, born on 6 February 1864 in Sancyáesa, Navarra (Spain).

20.- Sr. EstefanìaI IRISARRI IRIGARAY, DC, born on 26 December 1878 in Peralta, Navarra (Spain).

21.- Sr. María Pilar NALDA FRANCO, DC, born on 24 May 1871 in Algodonales, Cádiz (Spain).

22.- Sr. María Carmen RODRÍGUEZ BARAZAL, DC, born on 26 March 1876 in Cea, Orense (Spain).

On 21 July 1936, the Communists entered the residence of the sisters and made them leave their house. They went to live with a woman named Juanita, an elderly member of the residence.

At the beginning of August, the Committee said they had to leave the town. On August 21 they went to Valencia. With no lodging, they spent the first night in a garage. Finally, they found a place to stay.

With them was a young woman named Dolores Broseta who served the sisters faithfully. She would go back and forth between Bétera and Valencia to bring the sisters what they needed. On one of those journeys, an individual, whose daughters were educated at the home but who hated the sisters, saw her. He followed the young woman each day and when she got on the train, he called ahead to advise his accomplice to follow the girl and see where the nuns were hiding. A half hour after the call, he appeared at the door where the sisters were and ordered them to leave and get in a car that was waiting for them.

It was now 9:30 p.m. on 8 December. No one ever knew anything else about the whereabouts of the five sisters, but most believe that that very night the five of them and the young woman were martyred.

- Algar de Palancia, Valcucia (4 October 1936).

23.- Sr. Martina VÁZQUEZ GORDO, DC, born on 30 January 1865 in Cuellar, Segovia (Spain).

The revolution was going on in 1936. The sisters were still in the Hospital of Segovia until 27 July. On that day, the militiamen entered the hospital with pistols drawn and threw the nuns into the street. They went to stay with an old graduate of their school until October.

One night, the militiamen entered the house and went straight to the bed of Sr. Martina who was sick. "Get up, get dressed and come with us to make your declaration," they said. She replied, "Did you come to get me for a declaration, or to kill me?" She went downstairs and embraced her sister and said, "Good-bye. See you in heaven."

They took her out to the yard. Sr. Martina said, "Are you going to kill me here?" They tied her to a tree. Sr. Martina refused to turn her back to them so they could shoot her in the back. She said, "I want to see the face of those who kill me, because they are the same ones that I so many times have fed to kill their hunger." After blessing herself, she said "You can shoot now." The sound of the shot was heard and the body of Sr. Martina slumped to the ground.

- Gilet, Valencia (28 October 1936)

24.- Sr. Victoria ARREGUI GUINCA, DC, born on 19 December 1894 in Bilbao (Spain).

25.- Sr. Joaquina REY Y AGUIRRE, DC, born on 23 December 1895, in Bilbao-Begoáa, Vizcaya (Spain).

On 28 October 1936, a bailiff came to the House of Charity (Valencia) bringing the sisters the order to present themselves at City Hall, in the evening, to reply to some questions.

At 10:30 some militiamen knocked at the door. They led Sr. Joaquina and Sr. Victoria to the City Hall where they remained detained. Just after midnight, they took them in a car, with two priests and two nephews of one of the latter. They reached Rafelbunol where they took another victim.

They came to Gilet, a small village in the Province and Diocese of Valencia. They stopped and were immediately directed toward the cemetary. They opened its gates and there, facing the wall, they placed their victime, and from behind, the militiamen loaded the guns which would put an end to their lives for Christ.

- Liosa y Almenara, Castellón (19 August 1936)

26.- Sr. María Luisa BERMÚDEZ RUIZ, DC, born on 10 October 1893 in Sabugueira, La Coruna (Spain).

27.- Sr. María Rosario CIÉRCOLES Y GASCÓN, DC, born on 5 October 1873 in Saragossa (Spain).

28.- Sr. Micaela HERNÁN MARTÍNEZ, DC, born on 6 May 1881 in Burgos (Spain).

On 27 July 1936 the sisters settled in the village of Puzol, staying in a house situated at No. 11 of the rue Saint Pierre, where a sister lived: Sr. Concepción, who herself belonged to the community of the Saint Eugene Home.

On 18 August, at ten o'clock in the evening, a car with armed men arrived at the door of the house. They went upstairs and made the three sisters go down to take them away in the car.

After much research after peace returned, it was learned that they were shot at five o'clock in the morning, on 19 August, in the orange garden between La Losa and Almenara, the three united in a fraternal embrace.

c. Santa Coloma de Gramanet, in the Diocese of Barcelona

29.- Sr. Dorinda SOTELO RODRÍGUEZ, DC, born on 15 February 1915 in Santa María Lodoselo (Spain) and died between 24 and 26 October 1986 in Santa Coloma de Gramanet.

Sr. Dorinda lost her mother at the age of 12. On 29 September 1930 she entered the High School of Mary that the Daughters of Charity had in Orense. The superior said of her, "I noticed in her face an exceptional simplicity that she always maintained."

She entered the Daughters of Charity on 20 May 1933. In 1936, she was part of the community at the Antitubucular Sanitarium of the Holy Spirit in Saint Coloma in Gramanet, between Barcelona and Badalona.

From 19 July on, the community suffered constant searches. The sisters continued to wear their habits because it seemed cowardly to take them off without having been ordered to do so. On 22 July, because of an order from the Committee, the sisters had to take off their habits and dress as laywomen.

A short time later, for security reasons, they had to flee from the hospital seeking refuge in the house of the father of Dr. Barchau, medical director of the sanitarium who right from the start made himself available to help the sisters.

The Doctor paid for his charity by being made to go into hiding for fear of being arrested. He left in his house his son with two servants. He asked the superior to take care of his house and his son and his servants. As a response of gratitude for his help, the superior sent Sr. Dorinda. The servants, under the pretext that they were committed to the revolution, tore up images of the saints, and burned books. The wife of Dr. Barter scolded them when she knew what they were doing and the cook left the house and eventually the other servant. This left Sr. Dorinda alone so Sr. Toribia was sent to accompany her. Together, they would go to their martyrdom.

On 24 October 1936, at 11:00 in the morning, eight militiamen of the F.A.I. broke into the house and took the two sisters prisoners. They were certain that their hour of sacrifice had arrived, so Sr. Dorinda had the presence of mind to put a note in the pocket of the little son who was left under the care of the doorman. The note had the telephone number in order to advise the doctor's friends and the superior of their disappearance.

A militiaman who had been in the hospital and appreciated Sr. Toribia went with two doctors of the hospital to look for the sisters. Their decomposed bodies, with many signs that they had suffered violently, were found on 26 October in the storeroom of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona.

30.- Sr. Toribia MARTICORENA SOLA, DC, born on 27 April 1882 in Murugarren, Navarre (Spain) and died between 24 and 26 October 1986 in Santa Coloma de Gramanet.

In 1929, Sr. Toribia was assigned to the Antitubucular Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Coloma de Gramanet, between Barcelona and Badalona.

Due to her humility, she refused to be a superior. She said, "Even though obedience does miracles, I do not know how you have been informed about me. I do not oppose the position, but I am not worthy."

From July 19 on, the community suffered constant searches. The sisters continued to wear their habits because it seemed cowardly to take them off without having been ordered to do so. On 22 July, because of an order from the Committee, the Sisters had to take off their habits and dress as laywomen.

A short time later, for security reasons, they had to flee from the hospital seeking refuge in the house of the father of Dr. Barchau, medical director of the sanitarium who right from the start, made himself available to help the sisters.

The Doctor paid for his charity by being made to go into hiding for fear of being arrested. He left in his house his son with two servants. He asked the superior to take care of his house and his son and his servants. As a response of gratitude for his help, the superior sent Sr. Dorinda. The servants, under the pretext that they were committed to the revolution, tore up images of the saints, and burned books. The wife of Dr. Barter scolded them when she knew what they were doing and the cook left the house and eventually the other servant. This left Sr. Dorinda alone so Sr. Toribia was sent to accompany her. Together, they would go to their martyrdom.

On 24 October 1936 at 11:00 in the morning, eight militiamen of the FLA broke into the house and took the two sisters prisoners. They were certain that their hour of sacrifice had arrived, so Sr. Dorinda had the presence of mind to put a note in the pocket of the little son who was left under the care of the doorman. The note had the telephone number in order to advise the doctor's friends and the superior of their disappearance.

A militiaman who had been in the hospital and appreciated Sr. Toribia, went with two doctors of the hospital to look for the sisters. Their decomposed bodies, with many signs that they had suffered violently, were found on 26 October in the storeroom of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona.

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