Genevieve Stefanick
Staff Writer
A woman who translated an American historian’s book on martyrs of the Spanish Civil War shared how those martyrs impacted her personal faith journey at a talk Monday at 6:30 pm in the Gentile Gallery.
Beatriz McNamara, who is wife of Ron McNamara, an associate professor of philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville, said she felt called by the Blessed Virgin Mary to translate “The Last Crusade” by Warren Carroll from English to Spanish.
In her talk, McNamara explained her faith journey and the nature of her calling to translate this book. She felt convicted by the examples of faith that the Spanish martyrs exhibited and she saw the need to share the story.
McNamara said the lengths to which the Spanish government has gone to cover up and change major historical events of Spain disables people in the present time from rectifying mistakes that were made in the past. McNamara said the people of Spain are being lied to and manipulated about the real facts of history.
McNamara said, “If you’re not on top of history … and you don’t pass it on to your children, someone is going to do it for you.”
Throughout the Spanish Civil War, there were thousands of martyrs whose “beautiful stories of faithfulness” must serve as an example to Catholics everywhere, McNamara said.
McNamara recounted her experience of history being manipulated and her journey of coming to know the truth of the Spanish history. She said this process put on her heart the calling to make the real history of Spain known to the Spanish people, so that the incredible example of these martyrs might not be lost.
Sophomore Mary Therese Druffner said, “Beatriz inspires me to take the history of the Church seriously. … She is a beautiful testimony to how the power of prayer and conviction can restore our world. She is taking her small calling from God, (and) then, little by little, reshaping history.”
The talk was sponsored by the Student Government.