Blessed Bartolomé Blanco Márquez

Blessed Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, born on 25 November 1914 in Pozoblanco, Córdoba, Spain, was a young layman who lived during the tumultuous period of the Spanish Civil War. He was raised by his uncles and local Salesian brothers after losing his mother at the tender age of three, followed by the tragic death of his father when Bartolome was 12. Despite these early hardships, Bartolomé's strong faith and natural leadership qualities shone through.