Biography
Benjamín Julián
About Benjamín Julián
Benjamín Julián was the religious name of Vicente Alonso Andrés. He taught at Santiago de Compostela before moving to Turón, where he was killed with his community in 1934.
His vocation was that of a religious brother devoted to education. The Brothers of the Christian Schools are religious laymen, whose ministry differs from priestly ordination. Brotherhood joins a shared religious life to the work of teaching.
John Paul II canonized the Turón martyrs on 21 November 1999. In his homily, the pope recalled their identity as educators and their prayer and fraternity as they approached death. He presented their religious commitment as a witness to faith. This remembrance places their teaching beside their final suffering, preserving the purpose of their work as well as the violence that ended it.
The following day, the pope addressed the pilgrims gathered in Rome. He connected the martyrs’ memory with the continuing responsibility of Christian educators and encouraged young people to respond to the Gospel. His discussion of education also emphasised parents’ responsibility, freedom to choose a school, and the duty of public authorities to respect pluralism and religious freedom. The address looked beyond the commemoration itself to the obligations of families, schools and governments. It gives the remembrance a practical setting in the care and formation of children.
The Lasallian liturgical proper commemorates the martyrs on 9 October. It gathers the teaching brothers and the Passionist priest who served the school within a shared remembrance. The office also includes Jaime Hilario, another Lasallian martyr, whose death took place separately.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.