Martyrs

In July 1936, hardly two weeks into the Spanish civil war, the bullet-ridden body of a 61-year-old priest was found by his friends near Madrid. Pedro Poveda, canonised by John Paul II in 2003, was no ordinary priest: a truly gifted educationalist and founder of the hugely popular Teresian Association, he lived a deeply radical Christian life. His inspiring life and the excellent and highly relevant educational principles he developed are all examined here...

Gunned down while saying Mass at the height of political and social unrest in El Salvador, Oscar Romero has remained a controversial and often misunderstood figure. Fr Beck shows how he was not martyred for political activism, or simply for being 'on the side of the poor', but for his faithfulness to Christ and his Church. Romero's impressive body of teaching, his own personal holiness, and sufferings, are thoroughly explored here, and clearly illustrate what - as Pope Benedict has said - 'an important witness to the faith' he truly was...