Saint of the Month - July 2012: Blessed Mercedes Prat

Bl. Mercedes Prat

An "Angel of Sorrow" ~ Memorial: July 24th

An “Angel of Sorrow” was how another nun described the final moments of the Beatified Martyr, Bl. Mercedes Prat.  Like many other faithful religious who lived during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930’s, Bl. Mercedes was killed by a godless institution for simply being a faithful Catholic nun who refused to deny her faith in Jesus Christ.

Born on March 6, 1880 in Barcelona (Spain), Mercedes lost her parents while she was still a little girl.  She and her younger siblings were taken in by other family members and educated in a school administered by the Sisters of the Society of St. Teresa of Jesus (a.k.a. the “Teresians”, affiliated with the Carmelite Order).  The positive spiritual influence of her nun-teachers must have rubbed off on her as the beautiful young Mercedes developed a deep prayer life and volunteered her spare time working as a successful catechist for her local parish church.  In 1904, she took a giant leap of faith by joining the same congregation that influenced her in her early childhood.

As a nun Sr. Mercedes was described as a “true Teresian" and impressed her peers with her naturally gentle demeanor and her evident love for God.  Her students were also quite fond of her as she seemed to understand them; she was firm when she had to be, but always acted with a genuine concern for their well-being, which they greatly appreciated.  Her reputation as an excellent teacher, and her pious example, made her a stand-out among the Teresians, and so it was for many years until the summer of 1936.

In the heat of anti-religious sentiments during the Spanish Civil War, the militia invaded the Teresian school and ordered Sr. Mercedes to identify herself - although she was aware of the danger, she calmly and courageously responded that she was a teacher and a Catholic religious.  She and another sister were immediately taken into custody and escorted off the school premises by armed soldiers.  What followed next for the two nuns was a round of questioning, humiliations, and death threats but both women remained steadfast in their faith.

In the early morning hours of July 24th, Sr. Mercedes and her companion were ordered to another location… and during an interruption in their transfer Sr. Mercedes paused to recite a few prayers, which infuriated one of the soldiers.  Without any warning, the soldier callously fired his gun at her and she fell mortally wounded on the side of the road, repeating the holy names, “Jesus… Joseph… Mary.”  Her companion rushed to her side to comfort her and heard the final words from the dying religious, “Forgive us… as we forgive.”

The Church recognized the heroic martyrdom of Sr. Mercedes Prat and proclaimed her a Blessed on April 29th, 1990.

A Reflection
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”  ~ Words of Jesus Matthew 10:16

A Short Prayer
Lord, in the midst of persecution, help us to be like your spouse, Bl. Mercedes: steadfast in faith, prayerful, and forgiving.  Amen.