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Marino Blanes Giner was born on September 19, 1888, in the town of Alcoi (also spelled Alcoy), in the province of Alicante, Spain. His father was Jaime Blanes Reig, and his mother was Josefa Giner Botella. Marino celebrated his baptism and confirmation in the family’s parish of Santa Maria in Alcoi, part of the Archdiocese of Valencia. Marino’s parents provided him with a strong foundation in his Catholic Christian faith.
When he grew up, Marino worked in the Banco Español de Crédito and served his community as an alderman in the city council.
On September 26, 1913, Marino married 22-year-old Julia Jordá Lloret. Some sources say the couple had five children together, while other sources say they had nine. Four of the children helped the Church prepare for his beatification process.
Like many lay persons, Marino had a strong desire to serve the Lord by putting his faith in action in addition to his banking career, civic service, and family life. For example, Marino founded the Center for Catholic Instruction and served as a catechist, and he was an active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Apostles of Prayer, and he was the president of the Nocturnal Adoration Society. He was also a tertiary Franciscan and member of Catholic Action.
On Sunday afternoons, Marino could be found in the local hospital nursing the sick with the nursing sisters.
Marino’s desire to serve others was very strong, but sometimes he gave away so much money that the family had to struggle to make ends meet.
On March 31, 1936, government persecution of the Catholic Church began in Alcoi, even though the Spanish Civil War did not officially begin until July of that year. On that day, authorities closed the parish church, and the following day they began demolishing it. Soon, other Catholic church buildings were closed and vandalized as were monasteries and convents. Religious orders were banned, and people were executed because of their Catholic faith. In Alcoi, for example, both parish churches were closed, religious objects destroyed or sold or desecrated, and people were jailed. In Alcoi, 15 priests and 300 people were executed for their Catholic Christian faith. Among them was Marino.
On July 21, 1936, Marino, along with his neighbor Juan Torregrosa, were taken to the town hall. Juan was released, but Marino was imprisoned for seven weeks in the municipal jail. Others who suffered imprisonment with Marino reported that Marino always treated everyone with the utmost respect and kindness, even the most unlovable. He was noted for always being pleasant and prayerful, and every day, he would recite the rosary with Fr. Juan Bautista Carbonell.
On September 8, around 3 a.m., authorities took Marino away. When Marino’s son came in the morning to the jail with Marino’s breakfast, the authorities told the son that his father had been released. Only later did he learn that most likely, his father had been taken to the Paseo and executed. Marino’s body was never recovered.
Pope John Paul II beatified Marino, along with 233 others, on March 11, 2001. Blessed Marino Blanes Giner’s feast day is September 8.
