Jan Rafał Marian Alcocer Martínez
Spanish Benedictine (1889-1936)
Who they were
Juan Rafael Mariano Alcocer Martínez was born in Madrid on 29 October 1889. At twenty he entered the novitiate of the Benedictine abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, made monastic profession on 6 April 1915, and was ordained priest at Burgos on 25 August 1918. A graduate in Letters and Philosophy known as a good preacher, he lived from 1926 at the priory of Our Lady of Montserrat in Madrid, and it was he who, on 17 July 1936, first warned his community that the military uprising in Melilla had begun the Spanish Civil War.
When militia occupied and looted the monastery, Father Rafael took refuge with a bookseller friend, but was discovered and taken to the Ateneo Libertario; he was shot at La Elipa on 4 October 1936. He was beatified in Madrid on 29 October 2016 together with three fellow monks of Montserrat who died in the same persecution, and his remains are venerated in the 'sacristy of the Martyrs' of the church of Our Lady of Montserrat, Madrid.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
Benedictine priest of Our Lady of Montserrat, Madrid, shot near La Elipa during the Spanish Civil War; beatified with three fellow monks on 29 October 2016.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Santi, beati e testimoni (santiebeati.it) - Beato Raffaele Alcocer Martínez, by Emilia Flocchini
- Wikidata Q27672225 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.