Genaro Fueyo Castañón and 3 companions

The life and work of this group of martyrs are intimately linked to the parish of Santiago Apóstol in Nembra, a mining village in Asturias. Under the impetus of their parish priest, Don Genaro Fueyo Castañón, the parish experienced exceptional spiritual dynamism.

- Nocturnal Adoration: Founded in Nembra by Don Genaro in 1908, the Spanish Nocturnal Adoration association (Adoración Nocturna Española) became the spiritual heart of the community. Don Genaro was its promoter, Segundo Alonso González its president, Isidro Fernández Cordero its treasurer, and the young Antonio González Alonso mentored the youth there. It was this active membership in the Nocturnal Adoration that marked the three laymen for the vengeance of the revolutionary militiamen. - The Catholic Miners' Union: In a mining region strongly marked by social tensions and the influence of Marxist movements, Segundo and Isidro were actively involved in the Catholic Miners' Union. They strove to promote social justice inspired by the Gospel, offering a Christian alternative to materialistic ideologies. - The promotion of vocations: Thanks to the pastoral work of Don Genaro, the parish of Nembra became a true center for vocations, giving rise to nearly a hundred priestly and religious vocations (including several members of the martyrs' own families).

In July 1936, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War ushered in a period of violent religious persecution in the Republican zone, particularly in the mining basins of Asturias. - The martyrdom of Antonio González Alonso: Arrested on July 20, 1936, the 24-year-old student was ordered by militiamen to destroy the sacred images of the church (notably that of the Sacred Heart) and to blaspheme. Faced with his categorical refusal, he was tortured. On September 11, 1936, after having his tongue cut out to prevent him from praying, he was beaten to death at Los Areneros (Oviedo) and his body was thrown into a mine shaft. As he passed his family home on the way to his execution, he shouted to his mother: « Adiós, madre, hasta el cielo » (« Goodbye, mother, see you in heaven! »). - The arrest of Genaro, Segundo, and Isidro: In October 1936, Don Genaro (aged 72), Segundo (48), and Isidro (43) were arrested. They were held in the guardroom of the Nocturnal Adoration, which had been converted into a makeshift prison. Despite opportunities to flee, Isidro refused to escape in order to protect his family, stating: « If I do not present myself, they will take revenge on my family. We have always been accused of being bigots and church-goers; from what we can see, the only crime we are accused of is being Catholic, and that is an honor for us. » - The martyrdom in the church: On the night of October 21, 1936, the three men were led at gunpoint into the parish church of Nembra. The militiamen forced Segundo and Isidro to dig their own graves in front of the altar of the Holy Martyrs, while a third pit was prepared for the priest in front of the high altar. Don Genaro asked to be executed last so that he could confess, absolve, and encourage his two parishioners until the end. Segundo and Isidro were stabbed to death and thrown into their pits. Don Genaro was in turn stabbed, then finished off with a bullet to the temple. - The discovery of the bodies: A year later, after the region was retaken, the bodies of the three martyrs were exhumed. They were found intact, without any sign of decomposition.

- The diocesan process: The cause for beatification was opened in the Archdiocese of Oviedo on July 15, 1997, under the episcopate of Archbishop Gabino Díaz Merchán, after obtaining the nihil obstat from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on March 11, 1997. The diocesan inquiry was closed on September 12, 2000, and its validity was decreed in Rome on April 26, 2002. The Positio super martyrio was submitted in 2007. - The recognition of martyrdom: On January 21, 2016, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the martyrdom of Genaro Fueyo Castañón and his three lay companions, killed in hatred of the faith (in odium fidei). - The beatification ceremony: The solemn celebration of beatification took place on October 8, 2016, in the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo. It was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, personal representative of Pope Francis. - The Pope's tribute: The following day, during the Angelus of October 9, 2016, Pope Francis publicly greeted the new blesseds: "Yesterday, in Oviedo (Spain), the priest Genaro Fueyo Castañón and three lay faithful were proclaimed blessed. Let us praise the Lord for these heroic witnesses of the faith, who join the ranks of the martyrs who offered their lives in the name of Christ."

The spirituality of the martyrs of Nembra rests on three fundamental pillars: 1. The centrality of the Eucharist: Their faith was nourished by daily Mass and long hours of vigil before the Blessed Sacrament within the framework of nocturnal Adoration. It is this intimacy with the Eucharistic Christ that gave them the strength to choose the parish church as the place of their sacrifice and to face death with serenity. 2. Social and family witness: Segundo and Isidro demonstrate that a large family life and demanding work as a miner are not obstacles to holiness, but places for the incarnation of the Gospel. Their union commitment testifies to an active faith, concerned with justice and fraternal charity. 3. Forgiveness of enemies: Faithful to the teaching of Christ, the martyrs died while forgiving their executioners. This legacy of reconciliation has been faithfully preserved by their families, who refused all vengeance and chose the path of forgiveness.