Spain. In the afternoon of March 4, 2010, the Claretians of the Province of Betica were able to see their illusion accomplished when they received in the Parish of Saint Anthony M. Claret of Seville the remains of the martyr Fr. José Mª Ruiz Cano, sacrificed in Sigüenza (Guadalajara) on July 27, 1936. The science of the famous coroner Dr. Luis Frontela Carreras, Head of the Department of Legal Medicine and Director of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Legal Sciences of Seville, and the love placed in his work, made possible the far-from-easy identification of the said remains.
In the presence of a large group of Claretians gathered in the parochial hall, Dr. Frontela presented the box that contained the mortal remains of the Servant of God to the Commission, made to that effect by the Archbishop of Seville, presided over by the His Excellency Dr. Ángel Antonio Faílde Rodríguez, Promoter of Justice, and Fr. Rafael Martínez Rodríguez, cmf, in his role as Notary-Clerk.
From among the present Claretians, we must mention Frs. Federico Gutiérrez and Julio Izquierdo, who formed part of the group of postulants who, together with Fr. Ruiz went out of Sigüenza for the nearby town of Guijosa, where they shared with their Father Prefect the difficult and touching moments previous to the final sacrifice. In the act were also present Frs. Vicente Pecharromán, General Postulator; Eleuterio López, Vice-Postulator; Manuel Carrasco, tasked by Fr. Provincial with the groundwork that had to be done in Sigüenza; José Márquez, Pastor; Agustín Bernal, School director and Bro. Salvador Segura Santana.
After examining the remains, and following the prescription of the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints, of giving to the Diocese of Sigüenza a distinguished relic, the Episcopal Delegate extracted a rib and gave it to the Postulator together with a case that contained several bones of the Servant of God, with the purpose of obtaining at the proper time possible relics. After closing the case and sealing the ribbons that surrounded it, they transferred it to the temple, to the place of the transept, on the left side, where the niche had been prepared to receive the venerated remains. While those present lifted up the recognition to the Lord, the Good Shepherd who helps those who trust in him, a white marble tombstone was placed to cover the coffin. In a discreet way a simple inscription proclaimed that in that place the remains of “FR. JOSÉ Mª RUIZ, CMF, Jerez de los Caballeros 3-9-1906 Sigüenza 27-7-1936” were waiting for the resurrection.
May the memory of the heroic example of Fr. José Mª Ruiz encourage us to be, in the today of the Church, salt of the earth and light of the world.
