Innocencio of Mary Immaculate

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Innocencio of Mary Immaculate
birth_date=March 10, 1887
death_date=October 9, 1934
feast_day=October 9
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church
birth_place=Santa Cecelia del Valle de Oro, Galicia, Spain
death_place=Turon
titles=Martyr
beatified_date=1990
canonized_date=1999, Italy by Pope John Paul II
attributes=Passionist Habit and Sign

Saint Innocencio of Mary Immaculate (March 10, 1887–October 9, 1934), born Emanuele Canoura Arnau, was a member of the Passionist Congregation and a martyr of the Spanish Civil War. He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

Life

He was born on March 10 1887 at Santa Cecilia del Valle de Oro, near the Cantabrian coast in the province of Lugo (Galicia) and joined the Passionist seminary at the age of 14 at Peñafiel, near Valladolid.Mercurio, R: "The Passionists", page 176. The Liturgical Press, 1991] He joined the Passionist Congregation at Deusto (Biscay) and then continued his philosophy and theology. At Mieres, not far from Turón, he was given the sub-diaconate in 1910, the diaconate in 1912 and was ordained priest in 1920. [Mercurio, R: "The Passionists", page 37. The Liturgical Press, 1991] As a priest he preached missions and also taught in various schools. Whilst he was in Mieres he had been asked by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle) to hear the confessions of the children on their school as they prepared for their First Communion. [http://www.thepassionists.org/st_innocencio.html St. Innocencio Canoura Arnau, martyr] ] This was at the time of the so-called "Revolution of Asturias" when communists and anti-clericalists had risen up against the Spanish government.

Martyrdom

On Friday October 5th 1934, a group of loyalist soldiers forced their way into the Brothers' school in Turón. At the time Father Innocencio was in the school exercising his priestly ministry. Alongside the Brothers, Father Innocencio was imprisoned in the so-called "House of the People" where they would wait the judgement of the Republican committee. They were condemned to death and executed by firing sqad in the early hours of October 9th, 1934 they were all executed by a firing squad, their bodies buried in a common grave. [http://www.thepassionists.org/st_innocencio.html St. Innocencio Canoura Arnau, martyr] ]

Canonisation

Innocencio and his eight fellow martyrs were declared venerable in 1989, beatified on April 19, 1990, then canonized on November 21, 1999 by Pope John Paul II.Mercurio, R: "The Passionists", page 176. The Liturgical Press, 1991]

External links

* [http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_19991121_bertran-compagni_en.html Vatican Biography of Father Innocencio and his companions]

ee also

* Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War
* Martyrs of Daimiel
* Red Terror (Spain)

References