Javier Gorosterratzu was a Spanish Catholic priest and historian born in Urroz in 1877. A member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, he joined the order at age sixteen and was ordained in 1893. Throughout his clerical career, he served in various locations including Astorga, Pamplona, Madrid, and Cuenca. He is recognized as a blessed in the Catholic Church for his religious life and his eventual death during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
Life and work
After completing his studies in theology, Gorosterratzu taught philosophy and science in Astorga. He was a distinguished historian, most notably authoring a biography of the archbishop of Toledo, Don Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, which earned him a prize from the Royal Academy of History in 1926. His other literary contributions included a biography of Sor Josefa de San Alfonso and a Spanish translation of Arnaud Oihenart's history of the Basque regions.
Death and veneration
While serving in Cuenca, Gorosterratzu was killed by militias during the early stages of the Spanish Civil War. Because of his religious devotion and the circumstances of his death, he is commemorated as a blessed within the Catholic tradition.