Lebanese patriarch and 80 Spanish martyrs declared blessed

Born in Helta on December 4, 1843, Elias Hoyek led the Maronite Church from 1899 until 1931. During his leadership, he famously placed the patriarchate’s resources at the disposal of the poor during the Mount Lebanon famine between 1915 and 1918. He also opened the doors of local convents and monasteries to the needy during World War I.

A man of deep spirituality, he founded the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family and built the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. The patriarch promoted the development of the Maronite Church both within his homeland and far beyond its borders, establishing a presence in France, Egypt, Jerusalem, and Rome.

Historically and politically, Hoyek is considered a major advocate for Lebanese independence. He represented his country at the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919, and the proclamation of the State of Greater Lebanon took place in his presence on September 1, 1920. The patriarch died in Bkerké on December 24, 1931.

The miracle attributed to his intercession is highly unusual because it was never actually directly requested. Nayef Abou Assi, a Druze father and Lebanese army officer, suffered from a debilitating spinal condition known as bilateral spondylolysis. One morning in April 2005, he woke up completely free of all his symptoms. The healed man attributed the marvel to a dream about a white-clad man holding a staff. The figure was later identified as Patriarch Hoyek, a man Abou Assi had never heard of.

Coming six months after Pope Leo XIV traveled to Lebanon, this new decree paves the way for Hoyek’s beatification. Pope Francis previously declared the patriarch venerable in 2019.

Just two weeks before his scheduled apostolic journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV also approved the martyrdom of Francisco González de Córdova and 79 companions. These priests, religious, and laypeople were killed during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1937. The names of these Catholics from the diocese of Santander join those of thousands of other martyrs from that persecution, recognized over recent years.

The formal recognition of their martyrdom — confirming they were killed “in hatred of the faith,” to use the official terminology — clears the path to their beatification. A recognized miracle attributed to their intercession will still be required for their eventual canonization.

Among the new decrees, the Catholic Church recognized the heroic virtues of the Italian Salesian priest Costantino Vendrame. Born to a poor family in Treviso in 1893, he joined the Salesians and dedicated his life to evangelizing across northeastern, southern, and eastern India. Everywhere he went, locals recognized him as a “man of God,” including both Muslims and Hindus. He endured captivity during World War II as an Italian citizen on British territory. He died with a reputation for holiness in 1957 after patiently suffering from severe osteoarthritis for months.

Another decree recognized the heroic virtues of the Capuchin friar Nazareno da Pula, born Giovanni Zucca. He lived in Sardinia from 1911 until his death in 1992. A close associate of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, he stood out for his powerful preaching and his ability to comfort the faithful. Dozens of unexplained healings have been attributed to him.

Rome also advanced the cause of Sister María Ana Alberdi Echezarreta, whose baptismal name was María de la Concepción Cruz. Born in Madrid in 1912, she lost her parents at age seven and joined the Order of the Immaculate Conception in 1932. Her sisters elected her abbess in 1953, a role she held for 34 years. She led significant reforms within her cloistered community before her death in 1998.

Finally, a decree confirmed the heroic virtues of Brother Jean Thierry of the Child Jesus and of the Passion, born Jean Thierry Ebogo in Cameroon in 1982. He entered the Discalced Carmelite Order in 2003 at a monastery in his home country.

After doctors discovered bone cancer in 2004, he had to have his leg amputated. He was later sent to Milan, Italy, to finish his novitiate and receive treatment at an Italian clinic. As his health rapidly declined during his hospitalization, his room became a vibrant place of encounter and fellowship. He died on January 5, 2006.

For these four venerables to be beatified in the next step of their canonization process, the Church will need to officially recognize a miracle attributed to their intercession.