Martyr: 1888-1936
Her life
+ Ana María was born in Alicante, Spain.
+ Choosing to remain in the single life, she was active in several parish organizations and charitable societies.
+ A member of Catholic Action, she attended Mass daily and she eventually became a catechist who had a special care for the poor.
+ Ana María was murdered during the religious persecutions of the Spanish Civil War. She died in Picadero de Paterna, Spain, on October 14, 1936. She was beatified with 232 other martyrs of the Spanish Civil War in 2001.
Spiritual bonus
October 13, 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal. It was on this day that the celebrated “Miracle of the Sun” occurred, an event witnessed by nearly 70,000 people.
Quote
“During those terrible years many priests, religious and lay people were killed simply because they were active members of the Church… For us they are models of consistency with the truth they professed, while at the same time they honour the noble Spanish people and the Church.”—Pope Saint John Paul II
Prayer
O God, who gladden us today with the annual commemoration of blessed Ana María, graciously grant that we may be helped by her merits, just as our lives are lit up by the splendor of her example of chastity and fortitude. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Virgins—For a Virgin Martyr)
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Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...