Today is the memorial for Bl. Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, who was martyred on October 2, 1936, near the beginning of the Red Terror in the Spanish Civil War. He was almost twenty-two. You can find translations of his letter to his girlfriend, Maruja, written the night before his execution by firing squad online in various places, e.g., here, and the original Spanish here.
The Last Letter of Bartolomé Blanco Márquez
Tomorrow I die, and a line of grim men
will shoot bullets in me till I fall;
but my life has been good, and I thank you for that,
and I thank my Lord God above all.
I will remember your face to the dark, silent grave,
and love you with all of my heart;
lovers who love in the glory of God
become of each other a part.
Fear not, Maruja, my darling, my love;
I see death, but I am not afraid.
Remember, Maruja, my dear and my dove,
recall me in life's errant way;
take thought to your soul, my lady and love,
that in heaven we may meet again
and love in the way God meant us to love,
forever in life without end.
