Today, November 20, is the memorial of Blessed Angeles de San Jose & Companion-Martyrs.
The Sisters of the Institute of Christian Doctrine (Hermanas de la Doctrina Cristiana), founded by Mother Micaela Grau in 1880, were into Christian instruction and catechism. Even when the anti-clerical Spanish Civil War was raging in the 1930s, the sisters continued their ministry and followed Christ by serving the poor.
During the war, some of the sisters who had families were able to return home. The rest who had no families to go to stayed in their motherhouse convent. Still, those who were in the convent and those who were outside wrote letters to one another, updating each one about the events and the imminent danger to their lives.
In 1936, they were forced to leave their motherhouse, but still remained a tight community with Mother Angeles de San Jose leading them and encouraging one another to give their lives as testimony to Jesus Christ. The first members to be executed during the anti-religious uprising were Mother Amparo Rosat and Sister María del Calvario in 1936, after being imprisoned in Carlet.
During the month before their deaths, Mother Angeles and the sisters were never discouraged, always faithful to God in words and charitable works. They were so forgiving of their captors that they even knitted shirts for them.
Time came when a bus arrived to collect the sisters. They were taken to their place of execution. The sisters were shot to death on November 20, 1936.
They were beatified in 1995 by Pope St. John Paul II.