Romantic

Gypsy names. The Saint Patron of Catholic Gypsies

October 20th, 2007 by Khamoro_chaj

Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla is an official Saint Patron of Catholic Gypsies. His holliday is the 4th of May.

Ceferino Giménez Malla was born in Spain, of a Catholic Cale (Spanish Gypsies) family. His father was a cattle-trader, and so was he. For forty years Malla lived as a nomad. He was married since a teenager but never had children.

In 1912 Malla married his wife Teresa in a church and bought a house in a Spnish town Barbastro. They also adopted Teresa’s niece Pepita, who was an orphan. Teresa died in 1922, and Pepita’s descendants live in Spain in our days.

Ceferino wasn’t literate but he visited church and knew much about his faith and about the Bible. He taught Christianity to Cale and Spanish children.

After his wife had died Malla began a career as a catechist, under the guidance of a priest-professor, Don Nicholas Santos de Otto.

Malla also resolved disputes between Cale and Spanish people. In 1926 Malla became a member of the Franciscan Third Order. From 1931 he participated in “Night Adoration”.

During the Spanish civil war Malla tried to defend a priest from republican soldiers. They both were arrested and then shot with other priests and believers.

According to a legend, soldiers asked him if he had weapons. He answered: “Yes, and here it is” and showed them his rosary.

Malla died holding rosary in his hands, shouting: “Long live Christ the King!”. His body was never found.

Ceferino Malla was proclaimed as Blessed on May 4, 1997.

I used the article I had written for Wikipedia.

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