Among those beatified on Sunday were 24 brothers of the order of St John of God. This remarkable man had begun looking after the sick and poor in Granada in 1539, and that was the task of his followers 400 years later. One of those was Feliciano MartÃnez, who worked at a hospital in Valencia and was know for his big-heartedness and simplicity. He had fallen off a horse once, which left him with a limp, and he gained the nickname Cojito, “Hopalong”. On October 4 1936 he was taken to the shore and shot. He was 73.
Of those beatified, 74 were Brothers of Christian Schools, as they are known in Spain for their provision of education for the poor. In Britain they are called De la Salle Brothers, after their French founder (1651-1719).