Brother Stephan, who was offered the job as cook for the militants. But all three refused these possibilities, stating that they wanted to run the same fate as their brothers. We Trinitarian religious cannot stop confessing that the fraternal life in community is an essential and indispensable part of our institute. The communal witness of our Blessed Martyrs, certainly heroic and exciting, should encourage us to a firm commitment to continual conversion and to a more authentic and higher quality of the fraternal life, knowing that this is our vocation in the Church Furthermore, the binding in the martyrdom of our brothers of the habit with the sons of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic, should make us reflect on the call to an "inter-congregational culture”, which we reflected upon at the last General Chapter, realizing that this communion between various institutes witnesses to the "Trinitarian communion" is a mission especially precious and worthy of our time.
In the end, the martyrdom of these six Trinitarians - so close to us in time - makes us realize that we are in a time that can be well-defined as "of the martyrs." Religious persecution is a reality and popes (including our current Holy Father Pope Francis), do not cease to call attention to this drama, of special relevance. No person of good will, no Christian can remain indifferent in the face of this phenomenon. We Trinitarians, founded to give assist those who suffer because of their faith in Christ, must have a particular consciousness about our duties in this moment of our history. The work in favor of the free exercise of humanity's relationship with God and the denunciation of any and all intolerance of such, must be united so as to help those who are suffering because of their faith. Our commitment to SIT must deepen and become more concrete: this is an urgency that requires determination and generosity, with the assurance that every effort will be abundantly blessed and rewarded by the Holy Trinity.
Dear brothers and sisters, the beatification of these six brothers is a great grace given to us by the Most Holy Trinity, their glorification is not only right, but opportune. Their message of love for Christ and their brothers is the triumph of God's grace over our limitations, of life over death, of gentleness over evil. These six Trinitarian Blesseds manifest the beauty, ever ancient and ever new, of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, made a reality in the lives of persons very simple and so far from the extraordinary as the martyrs were. The Blesseds Ermenegildo, Bonaventure, Francis, Placido, Anthony and Stephan, with their crowns and palms, make our Order more holy, and in this circumstance render tribute and gratitude to the Most Holy Redeemer for having given them to us and for having made them perfect in the fulfillment of their religious profession.
I ask all the brothers and sisters of the Order and the Family, to pay attention to these six brethren, praising God for their martyrdom in the liturgy (in accordance with the provisions of the Church), and invoking them in our need. I also ask, that they be made known outside the circle of our Order and Family, in particular amongst young people, knowing that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of new vocations. In the end, I pray that you will do all that you can to solemnize the day of the celebration of the beatification, assisting at the celebration, making the intention to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of the martyrs in Alcázar de San Juan, or by preparing some special celebration in our communities.
The Church rejoices in the glory of its finest sons.
The fire of charity transmitted by our Holy Fathers, continues to shine in our martyred brothers in this "Jubilee Year", the eighth centenary of the death of Saint John de Matha and the fourth centenary of the death of St. John Baptist of the Conception. Our Order and the entire Trinitarian family rejoice for with these glorious martyrs and their beatification, we hope God's special blessings and graces will be showered upon us all. This is my prayer and wish, which I send with my greetings and my desire for peace and joy in the Holy Trinity.
Given in Rome, at the General Curia "House of the Holy Trinity and of Captives", August 25, 2013, Memorial of Saint Louis, king of France
Br. Jose Narlaly, O.SS.T.,
Minister General