Ovidio Bertrán

Who they were

Ovidio Bertrán was a religious of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools; the apostolic letter of Benedict XVI names him with four companions of the same Institute and with the diocesan priest José María Cánovas Martínez, chaplain of the Institute, who suffered prison and death for the faith during the war in Spain rather than deny Christ or their right to belong to the Church, forgiving their persecutors and praying for them.

The letter, given at Saint Peter's on 28 October 2007, grants them the honours of the blessed and sets their feast on 6 November.

The miracles

As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.

Why that counted as sanctity

The apostolic letter records that he went to prison and to death rather than deny Christ, forgiving his persecutors in the hour of his death.