July 25
Vicente Soler and Companions Martyrs (+1936)
Martyrs
Practical advice
In the midst of your ordinary work, conquer human respect with a clean and brave word without leaving for tomorrow the good that you can do today.
Biography
From July 25 to August 15, 1936, seven Augustinian Recollects, led by their prior, and a diocesan priest, gave their lives for Christ in the streets of Monistrol, in Madrid, Spain. Father Vicente Soler was imprisoned in prison, and there they found a way to lead the prisoners in prayer, encourage them, and confess them. He offered to replace a prisoner, father of eight children, on the wall, but his offer was rejected, since it had already been decided to shoot them all. As the militiamen took the prisoners out of the line to deliver the coup de grace on the walls of the cemetery, Father Soler blessed and absolved them until it was his turn. This was learned by a young layman from Catholic Action who survived the three shots he received and who later told these details about the death of Father Soler. The names of the other martyred blesseds are: Deogracias Palacios, León Inchausti, José Rada, Julián Benigno Moreno, José Ricardo Díez, Vicente Padilla and Manuel Martín Sierra.