First World War
Turmoil and tension due to the economic, political, and social situation of the country
Socialism and anarchism were pervasive
Anticlerical policies were implemented.
Poverty in Spain
Crisis de subsistencias
Illiteracy was rampant and they eventually lost their colonies
Spanish Civil war from 1936 to 1939
Spanish officials tried separating themselves from religious leaders.
Faith Ideology Differences
Religious individuals as a hindrance to the major reform
Christian Faith
Prosecution for religious beliefs
Various locations were under the control of regional leftist governments
Schools and seminaries were taken over and used for secular purposes.
Crucifixes were banned from the schools.
Execution of religious leaders for providing Christian education
Priests, bishops, and religious Brothers and Sisters had to hide to avoid imprisonment or mob violence.^
In December, religious people were transferred to Tarragona and were incarcerated on a prison ship with other fellow religious groups.
Horrible acts of violence in service of political ideologies
Under the leadership of José Giral and Largo Caballero, known as the “Spanish Lenin,” thousands of religious figures were executed.
4,184 secular priests
2,365 religious men
283 women
Numerous Catholic laypeople
Christian vocation
Inherent danger of provoking hatred is evident.
More than 4,000 Christians were persecuted annually.
A person could be executed simply for carrying a rosary or religious medal.
Churches were vandalized and burned.
Determination to answer God’s Calling
Entered the seminary at only 12 years old but was sent home later for developing hearing problems
Accepted into the Institute of the Brothers at age 19 for the purpose to continue serving God
Acted as a teacher and catechist and strongly believed in providing Christian education most especially to the poor
Forced to retire from teaching due to deteriorated hearing but continued working in the Garden at the house of LaSalle
Died as a true follower of God
Did not abandon his identity as a Brother and held on to his faith until his execution
Admitting that he had only worked as a gardener would have pardoned his sentence
Served as an example to the other followers of not only God, but also to those who shared the same political belief
“To die for Christ, my young friends, is to live.”
He was the first of 97 La Salle brothers killed in Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War to be recognized as a martyr.
These were his last words before he died.
Persecutions and turmoil during the Spanish Civil War
St. Jaime Hilario’s strong belief in God helped him overcome and endure the struggles he faced during the Spanish Civil War
His faith enabled him to stay true to who he is – a brother and a true follower of God
As a devoted Catholic priest, he would have felt a great sense of obligation to defend the Catholic Church.
Even if he could have said that he was merely a gardener, he stood by his oath as a priest
St. Jaime could have felt a strong sense of sorrow as the ongoing political turmoil and Civil War caused bloodshed, dividing his nation
Even if his life was abruptly ended, he was still able to live a righteous life
Led him to seek peace and harmonization with his nation