The Augustinian Recollect Martín Legarra Tellechea (1910-1985) was a direct witness of several great events of the 20th century. He developed his ministerial service with optimism, sympathy and communication skills. His life as a missionary, educator and bishop could have served as a movie script.
On September 19, 1925, at the age of 15, Martín arrived at the novitiate to learn to be a religious Augustinian Recollect. In Monteagudo (Navarra, Spain) he lives a crucial stage that ends with the profession of the evangelical counsels and the incorporation into the religious institution: it is the passage from a restless young man to a professed friar.
His novice master was Fray Hilario Vega, who to the strict life of the novice he added not a few brushstrokes about the Philippines, where he had been a missionary. on the 2nd of October 1926 Martin professes: from now on he is trained for the priesthood being a member of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.
He studied Philosophy and Theology between San Millán de la Cogolla (1926-1929) and Marcilla, Navarre (1929-1931). Still a student, he begins to publish articles in the Bulletin of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, where his signature —real or under a pseudonym— it will be frequent for the rest of his life.
At the age of 21, on February 6, 1931, he made solemn profession. The irruption of the Second Republic, on April 14, causes profound changes. Everything becomes rare and the religious fear for their safety. In Marcilla the friars take turns guarding night and it is decided to move part of the community out of the country. Martin, almost at the end of his initial training, he is sent to the Philippines. He will not be able to be ordained near his family, to whom he has to say goodbye in just a day and a half.
The group of transferees, a group of twenty year men and two adults, go to Barcelona to embark for the Philippines. They dress in civilian clothes and cover their tonsure with a beret. when peeking out through the train window, one of their beret flies away and the youngest, without a tonsure, gives up his. A traveler, before his uniformed image and his conversation, he comments to fray Martín: “You look like a friar”.
On August 18 they embark and Martín experiences those dream trips for the first time when he reads the biography of Saint Francis Xavier: Genoa, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Penan, Singapore, Manila. And he discovers that he is not made to sail due to his constant dizziness during the 32 days of travel..
NEXT PAGE: 3. Philippines, learning and new responsibilities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
- 1. An open mind to the unknown
- 2. Martin and religious life
- 3. Philippines, learning and new responsibilities
- 4. Even more open to the world
- 5. Chronicler of the greatest nightmare
- 6. Martin, educator
- 7. Martin, educator of religious
- 8. Martín is reunited with Spain
- 9. Martin in Bocas del Toro
- 10. Martin in Veraguas
- 11. Bishop emeritus, not retired
- 12. A Week of Easter
