Blessed Ceferino Jimenez Malla
Blessed Ceferino Jiménez Malla (born c. 1861 AD in Benavent de Segrià, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain; died August 9, 1936 AD in Barbastro, Huesca, Aragon, Spain) — known by his nickname "El Pelé" — was a Spanish Roma (Gypsy) Catholic layman, horse trader, and community leader who was martyred during the Spanish Civil War for refusing to surrender his rosary or renounce his Catholic faith. He is the first member of the Roma people to be beatified by the Catholic Church, and one of the most beloved Spanish Civil War martyrs. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Rome on May 4, 1997. His feast day is August 9.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Ceferino Jimenez Malla, Blessed Ceferino Jiménez Malla
| Blessed Ceferino Jimenez Malla | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | August 09 |
| Profession | Catholic layman; Roma (Gypsy) horse trader and community leader; Tertiary of the Dominican Order (possibly); Spanish Civil War martyr; patron of the Roma people |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Spanish Catholic tradition; Roma Catholic community; Spanish Civil War martyrs; Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón; Aragon and Catalonia Catholic tradition; 20th-century Spanish martyrs |
| Patronage | The Roma (Gypsy) people; Spain; Barbastro; Lleida; Catalonia; Aragon; horse traders; those persecuted for their faith; Spanish Civil War martyrs |
| Attributes | Roma traditional dress; rosary (his most iconic symbol — he died holding it); cross; horse (his trade); palm of martyrdom; the colors of the Roma people; August 9 feast |
| Birthplace | Benavent de Segrià, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain |
| Death Place | Barbastro, Huesca, Aragon, Spain |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; shot by Republican militia on August 9, 1936, in Barbastro; he was approximately 75 years old; he had been arrested in early August 1936, shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (July 18, 1936), when he attempted to defend a priest who was being arrested by Republican militiamen; the militiamen arrested him also; he was imprisoned and sentenced to death for his refusal to surrender his rosary or renounce his Catholic faith; he was shot in Barbastro on August 9, 1936, along with a group of Claretian seminarians — reciting his rosary as he died; he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1997 |
| Primary Shrine | Barbastro, Huesca, Spain — city of his martyrdom; August 9 feast; JPII beatification 1997; Roma Catholic pilgrimage site |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; August 9 feast in Spain, in the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón, and in the Roma Catholic community worldwide |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Ceferino Jiménez Malla was born around 1861 in Benavent de Segrià (Lleida) into a family of Spanish Roma horse traders. Known as "El Pelé" (a common Roma nickname), he grew up in the nomadic traveling Roma tradition of Catalonia and Aragon before settling with his wife Pepita in Barbastro, where he became a prosperous horse trader and respected local figure.
He joined the Catholic faith deeply — some sources indicate he was a member of the Dominican Third Order — and was known for his devotion to the rosary, his generosity to the poor, and his mediation of disputes within the Roma community.
When the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, Republican militiamen launched a fierce anti-Catholic persecution in Barbastro. Ceferino was arrested in early August 1936 when he tried to protect a priest who was being taken away by militia. The militiamen arrested him and imprisoned him for his Catholic faith.
He was offered release if he surrendered his rosary and renounced his faith. He refused. He was shot on August 9, 1936, in Barbastro — dying, according to witnesses, with his rosary raised in his hand.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1997 — the first Roma person to be beatified by the Catholic Church. He is now the patron of the Roma people. His feast day is August 9.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Benavent de Segrià, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
Death location: Barbastro, Huesca, Aragon, Spain
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Known shrines
- Barbastro, Huesca, Aragon, Spain — city of his martyrdom; August 9 feast; principal Roma Catholic pilgrimage site.
Feast day
August 9
Veneration
Blessed Ceferino Jiménez Malla / "El Pelé" (c. 1861–1936) was a Spanish Roma horse trader from Catalonia/Aragon who was shot by Republican militia in Barbastro on August 9, 1936, for refusing to surrender his rosary and renounce his Catholic faith during the Spanish Civil War — the first Roma person ever beatified by the Catholic Church, now patron of the Roma people; beatified John Paul II, May 4, 1997. Feast August 9.
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