Martyrs of Motril Offered Their Lives During Spanish Civil War

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Between 25 July and 15 August 1936, seven Augustinian Recollects, Bl. Vicente Soler, Deogracias Palacios, Leon Inchausti, Jose Rada, Vicente Pinilla, Julian Moreno, Jose Ricardo Diez, and a diocesan priest, Bl. Manuel Martin Sierra, laid down their lives for Christ in the streets of Motril, Granada, during the Spanish Civil War. All were simple men devoted to their ministry and all came from staunchly Catholic backgrounds.

With the triumph of the Popular Front on 16 February 1936, there was mounting tension. On 1 May, worship in their church was prohibited and a threatening crowd of 7,000 gathered at the monastery door. On 3 May, there was a similar demonstration: the faithful were insulted and chased with guns as they left Mass. On 16 July, churches were closed and on the 19th, the celebration of Mass was banned. Fr Julian was thrown out of the Recollect nuns' convent, where he had gone to celebrate Mass, and a detailed search was made of the two Recollect houses. Fr Soler warned the nuns of the danger, encouraging them with the hope of future reward: "Some of us will die and be martyrs, but after Good Friday comes the Resurrection".

After hiding in a policeman's house, Fr Moreno and Fr Pinilla returned to the monastery on July 24 and, despite the risk, the whole community chose to stay. Fr Manuel felt that seeking shelter was a temptation and on 22 July swore never to abandon his parish. The next day, the entire Augustinian community did the same. Early on 25 July, five of its members, Frs. Palacios, Inchausti, Rada and Moreno, and Bro. Jose Ricardo Diez, were violently seized and riddled with bullets. The following morning, Fr Vicent Pinilla was machine-gunned at the entrance of the Church of the Divine Shepherdess, where he had taken refuge with the parish priest, Fr Manuel Martin Sierra, who was also killed.

Fr Vicente Soler hid in the home of two young women until 29 July, but was betrayed and captured. He led prayers for his fellow prisoners, encouraged them, heard their confessions and converted the socialist Juan Antunez. He was shot at dawn on 15 August with another 28.

Like St Maximilian Kolbe, he offered to take the place of Manuel Perez Reina, a father of eight; his offer was rejected because the soldier noticed his name on the list of the condemned. His charity did not stop with this heroic act. As the militia took prisoners from the line to shoot them, Fr Soler blessed and absolved them. Since he was 10th on the list, he was able to absolve the others, including the young man to be shot after him, a member of Catholic Action named Francisco Burgos. He was shot three times, but survived to pass on these details of Fr Soler's imprisonment and death.

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