SW News: For the Church in Guatemala, April 23 was a red-letter day. Ten missionaries who were killed for protecting the poor and marginalised were beatified on that day, bringing them one step closer to sainthood. Jose Maria Gran Cirera and nine companions were killed in Quiche between 1980 and 1991 when the Church in the Central American nation was persecuted.

During his Regina Caeli address on Sunday, April 25, Pope Francis referred to the martyrs who bore heroic witness to justice and love. The group includes three priests –Fr Jose Maria Gran Cirera, Fr Faustino Villaneuva and Fr Juan Alonso Fernandez.

The trio were members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and they all hailed from Spain. The seven lay martyrs are Domingo del Barrio Batz, Juan Barrera Méndez (12 years old), Tomás Ramírez Caba, Nicolás Castro, Reyes Us Hernández, Rosalío Benito, Miguel Tiu Imul.

The beatification ceremony was held on the premises of the Colegio del Rosario in Quiche with representatives of all parishes in the country. The Mass was presided over by Bishop Rosolino Bianchetti Boffelli of Quiché. The papal message was read out by the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Montecillo Padilla. Several bishops from across the nation and other countries as well concelebrated the mass along with numerous priests. The ceremony was broadcast by various television channels in Central America, USA and also in Spain where the three priests hail from.

Bishop Boffelli told Vatican News that the martyrs were truly missionaries on the move, going from house to house evangelising and comforting people. They were men of great faith and trust in God, he said.