Ismael Molinero Novillo

Ismael's life took a decisive turn in 1934, at the age of 17, when he joined the Catholic Action Youth of Tomelloso. From then on, he became actively involved in the apostolate among young people and devoted a large part of his free time to the elderly and destitute at the local hospice (the Asylum of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Aged). He brought them not only material and spiritual support, but also his joy of living, singing and playing the guitar to break their loneliness. Ismael nourished his spiritual life through daily prayer, assiduous participation in Mass, and a deep devotion to the Eucharist as well as to the Virgin Mary, whom he venerated particularly under the title of the Virgen del Pilar. In 1935, he participated in spiritual exercises at the seminary of Ciudad Real, under the direction of Father Sánchez Oliva. The latter, deeply moved by the young man's piety and humility, knelt before him at the end of the retreat to kiss his feet. When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, Ismael witnessed the violent religious persecution that struck his region, notably the assassination of his parish priest and the vicar with whom he had collaborated closely. Because of his Catholic faith, he was himself imprisoned twice.

On September 18, 1937, Ismael was mobilized by the Republican army and sent to the Teruel front, one of the harshest and bloodiest sectors of the conflict. In the trenches, he had to endure not only extreme cold (with temperatures dropping below -20 °C), but also a hostile and anticlerical environment where blasphemy was frequent. Faced with provocations and insults directed at his faith, Ismael chose to respond with silence and prayer, clutching his rosary or his miraculous medal. In February 1938, during the Battle of Alfambra, Ismael threw his rifle to the ground to avoid killing and was captured by Nationalist forces. During his interrogation, he refused to reveal his membership in Catholic Action—information that would have earned him immediate release—in order to share the fate of his fellow captives. He was first interned in deplorable conditions in makeshift sheepfolds at Santa Eulalia del Campo, then transferred to the San Juan de Mozarrifar prisoner-of-war camp. Stricken with severe pneumonia that quickly degenerated into tuberculosis, he was finally admitted to the Clinical Hospital of Zaragoza (Hospital Clínico de Zaragoza). During his final months, he endured his suffering in heroic silence, offering his life for peace in Spain and reconciliation. He only broke his silence to request confession and communion. Ismael passed away on May 5, 1938, at the age of 21.

After his death, the reputation of holiness of Ismael of Tomelloso spread rapidly among the youth of Spanish Catholic Action. His remains, initially buried in the Torrero cemetery in Zaragoza, were transferred in 1950 to Tomelloso at the request of his mother. The canonical process officially began several decades later: on December 17, 2006, the Association for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Ismael of Tomelloso was established. In March 2008, the cause received the nihil obstat from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On May 5, 2008, the diocesan inquiry was officially opened by the Bishopric of Ciudad Real. On May 23, 2024, Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing his heroic virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable. On February 20, 2025, as part of his cause, his mortal remains were exhumed from the municipal cemetery and solemnly transferred to the parish church of La Asunción de Nuestra Señora in Tomelloso, where they now rest in a dedicated niche.

The spirituality of Ismael of Tomelloso is based on the silent offering of self, evangelical joy, and the desire for reconciliation. In a context of civil war marked by hatred and division, he chose not to respond to violence with violence, but to offer his "slow martyrdom" for peace. His silence during his captivity and illness was not a passive mutism, but a continuous prayer and an identification with the suffering Christ. He leaves behind the testimony of an ordinary layman who knew how to sanctify his daily work and his associative commitment. His famous formula summarizes his ideal of life: "As I do not know how to speak and have little intelligence, I do not know how to say good things about religion to anyone; that is why I want to set an example with my life."