Benet Domènech Bonet and 2 companions

The three religious belonged to the Capuchin community of Manresa (Catalonia), which at that time housed the province's novitiate. Each of them distinguished themselves there through a fruitful pastoral ministry and a profound fidelity to the rule of Saint Francis:

* Brother Benet dedicated the essential part of his religious life to the formation houses of Igualada and Manresa. He held the offices of novice master and guardian (superior) of the Manresa convent. Recognized for his ascetic and spiritual temperament, he was also the founder of the association of the "Friends of Gregorian Chant" (Amics del cant gregorià). * Brother Josep Oriol taught liturgy, Hebrew, and Church history at the theologate of Sarriá. Sent to the Manresa convent in 1925, he devoted himself entirely there to preaching, the administration of the sacrament of penance, and spiritual direction. * Brother Domènec, animated by an ardent missionary zeal, was sent to Central America in 1917. For thirteen years, he worked pastorally in Cartago (Costa Rica) and Managua (Nicaragua). Gravely ill, he had to return to Catalonia in 1930. He spent the final stage of his life in Manresa, offering the testimony of an exemplary religious, humble and devoted to the sick.

In July 1936, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War was accompanied by violent anti-religious persecution in Catalonia. On July 20, 1936, faced with imminent threats, the superior of the Manresa convent ordered the evacuation and dispersal of the community. Two days later, on July 22, the Capuchin convent and church were invaded, looted, and set on fire by militiamen. The three friars took refuge separately with relatives or friends, but they were quickly hunted down:

* The martyrdom of Brother Josep Oriol: On July 24, 1936, while clandestinely bringing Holy Communion to a Poor Clare nun, he was identified and arrested in the street by militiamen. That same evening, he was taken outside of Manresa and shot. * The martyrdom of Brother Domènec: Having taken refuge with relatives, he attempted to change his hiding place for security reasons. On the night of July 27, 1936, he was intercepted by militiamen, beaten, tortured, and then killed by a pistol shot at the gates of Manresa. * The martyrdom of Brother Benet: He first found refuge in an isolated farmhouse called Casajoana, located in the neighboring municipality of Pont de Vilomara. Denounced, he was arrested on August 6, 1936, by militiamen who subjected him to severe abuse. His executioners pressured him to blaspheme and renounce his faith in Christ, which he categorically refused. He was murdered on August 6 or 7, 1936, at a place called La Culla (or Pla de Cal Gravat), near Manresa.

The diocesan information process for their beatification opened in the Diocese of Vic on April 18, 1955, and closed on September 12, 1956. After a long suspension of the causes of Spanish martyrs decided by Pope Paul VI in 1978, the procedure resumed under the pontificate of John Paul II.

The Positio was officially submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 2017. On January 23, 2020, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing their martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith).

Initially scheduled for November 14, 2020, the beatification ceremony was postponed due to health restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The solemn celebration finally took place on November 6, 2021, in the Basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu in Manresa. It was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, representing Pope Francis. It was the first time in modern history that a beatification was celebrated directly in the Diocese of Vic.

The spirituality of the martyrs of Manresa is rooted in the ideal of poverty, gentleness, and minority of Saint Francis of Assisi. Faced with the hatred and violence of persecution, they chose to respond with the strength of evangelical gentleness, forgiveness, and the total gift of their lives.

During the beatification mass, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro recalled that these three religious were condemned to death without any trial, solely because they were Christians and consecrated. He emphasized that their martyrdom was not an isolated act of human heroism, but the fruit of the life-giving action of the Holy Spirit, transforming their relics into "seeds of life" for the Church.

The following day, during the Angelus of November 7, 2021, Pope Francis honored the memory of these "gentle and courageous witnesses of Christ," inviting contemporary faithful to be inspired by their example to remain firm in the faith, even in the midst of trials.

Their mortal remains were transferred to the church of the Capuchin convent of Sarriá in Barcelona. Their common liturgical memorial is set for November 6, the anniversary of their beatification and the feast of the martyrs of the religious persecution of the 20th century in Spain.