Attached below is the Decree on the heroic virtues of the Venerable Jean-Thierry of the Child Jesus and the Passion, a professed religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Decreto Super Virtutibus

Attached below is the Decree on the heroic virtues of the Venerable Maria Eletta di Gesù, a professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Decreto Super Virtutibus

Attached below is the Decree on the heroic virtues of the Venerable Maria Teresa of the Most Holy Trinity (Ysseldijk), a professed nun of the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus.

Decreto Super Virtutibus

Letter from the Father General on the centenary of the death of Blessed Anna of Saint Bartholomew.

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On 22 May 2026, during the Audience granted to His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Leo XIV authorised the said Congregation to promulgate a number of Decrees, including the martyrdom of the Servants of God Francisco González de Córdova and 79 Companions, priests, religious, seminarians and lay faithful, killed between 1936 and 1937 out of hatred for the faith, within the territory of the Diocese of Santander (Spain), in the context of the same persecution. Among this group of martyrs from the Iberian Peninsula are three Discalced Carmelite religious, namely Athanasius of the Sacred Heart (Gregorio Aguinagalde Aguirreche), a professed priest; Ruperto of the Cross (Ruperto Andueza Larraya), a professed religious; and Maximino of the Virgin of Carmel (Maximino Sáez Martínez), a novice religious, of whom we present brief biographical notices below.

ATANASIO OF THE SACRED HEART

(Gregorio Aguinagalde Aguirreche) Professed Priest OCD – Martyr – 1870–1936

He was born in Régil (Guipúzcoa) on 12 March 1870. He made his temporary profession on 27 June 1886 and his perpetual profession on 30 June 1889. He died in Santander on 30 December 1936.

On 27 December, ‘Red’ emissaries took him away from the house where he was staying in Santander, after the community had been expelled from the convent on 13 August 1936. Fr Atanasio never hid the fact that he was a priest and a Carmelite. Taken from the house, he was imprisoned, and there he spontaneously confessed to being a Carmelite religious and encouraged those imprisoned with him. On 30 December, he was taken out of prison together with Fr Arco, a Jesuit, and, as happened to others, it is believed that he was taken to Cabo Mayor and, after being shot, thrown into the sea.

RUPERT OF THE CROSS

(Ruperto Andueza Larraya) Professed member OCD – Martyr – 1897–1936

He was born in Garroes (Navarre) on 27 March 1897 and made his temporary profession on 1 December 1926. He died in Santander on 18 November 1936.

He was sacristan at the convent in Santander. After being forced to leave the convent due to the revolution, he was taken to a house. On 17 November 1936, he was taken prisoner by militiamen, making no secret of the fact that he was the sacristan of the Carmelite convent. On the evening of 18 November, he made his confession to Father Augusto, who had also been arrested there, and was taken away by the militiamen. It is presumed that the same fate befell him as the others: he was shot at Cabo Mayor and thrown into the sea.

MAXIMINO OF OUR LADY OF CARMEL

(Maximino Sáez Martínez) OCD Novice – Martyr – 1916–1936

He was born in Burgos on 16 December 1916 and began his novitiate on 20 November 1935. He died on board the ship Alfonso Pérez off the coast of Santander on 27 December 1936.

Assigned by obedience to the residence in Reinosa (Santander), he was caught up in the military uprising of 18 July 1936. He was 18 years old. He hid in a house for a few days, but the owners, fearing discovery and consequent reprisals, told him to find another place. He wandered the streets for who knows how long and was arrested by the ‘Reds’ as a suspect and spy. He was imprisoned for a while and then released, but was later arrested again and never released, being taken to Santander and imprisoned on the ship Alfonso Pérez. Following a bombing raid by the Nationalist air force and in retaliation, angry mobs stormed the ship on 27 December 1936, and he fell victim to the gunfire of the outlaws. He had recently turned 19.

Today, 22 May 2026, during the audience granted to His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, his Holiness Pope Leo XIV authorised that same Congregation to promulgate a number of decrees, including one recognising the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Jean-Thierry of the Child Jesus and the Passion (born Jean-Thierry Ebogo), a professed religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, born on 4 February 1982 in Mfou-Awaé (Cameroon) and died on 5 January 2006 in Legnano (Italy).

Today, 27 April 2026, during the audience granted to His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Pope Leo XIV authorised the said Dicastery to promulgate a number of decrees, including one recognising the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Teresa of the Most Holy Trinity (born Teresa Ysseldijk), a professed nun of the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, born on 13 November 1897 in Apeldoorn (Netherlands) and died on 10 March 1926 in St. Louis (United States of America).

Today, 27 April 2026, during the audience granted to His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Pope Leo XIV authorised the said Dicastery to promulgate a number of decrees, including one recognising the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Eletta di Gesù (born Caterina Tramazzoli), a professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, born on 28 January 1605 in Terni (Italy) and died on 11 January 1663 in Prague (Czech Republic).