1974 to Present

On Sunday, October 28, 2007, six Dominican martyrs with close connections to Rosaryville, Louisiana were beatified at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. These friars from the Province of the Holy Rosary were martyred during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
The most prominent is Fr. Buenaventura García Paredes, former Master of the Order, who had approved the establishment of the House of Theology at Rosaryville just west of Ponchatoula. This Rosaryville House of Theology existed in Louisiana from 1912 until 1938, when it was transferred to Hong Kong.
Fr. Jesus Villaverde was prior of the Rosaryville convent from 1921 until 1924, before going to the Philippines for 12 years and then returning to Spain.
Four other Spanish friars—Leoncio Arce, Antonio Varona, José; Maria Lopez and Pedro Ibáñez—had studied at Rosaryville, some even being ordained there, and then went on to the Philippines or other missions in the East, before returning to Spain, where they were killed during the 1936 Civil War.
On Dec. 20, 2004, the Vatican Congregation for Sainthood Causes promulgated the decrees for three Dominicans in the presence of John Paul II. One decree recognized the miracle that opens the doors for the beatification of a Dominican Servant of God whose heroic virtues the Pope had previously recognized, namely:

Mother Ascención del Corazon

Mother Ascención del Corazon de Jesus, born Fiorentina Nicoli Goñi, a Spanish religious of the Dominicans of the Third Order, co-founder and first superior general of the Dominicans of the Holy Rosary (1868-1940).
In addition, decrees were promulgated recognizing the heroic virtues of two other Dominicans:

Titus Horten

Titus Horten, German priest of the Order of Preachers (1882-1936).

Mary Colomba Bialecka

Mary Colomba Bialecka, born Rosa Filippina, Polish religious and founder of the Congregation for the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominic (1838-1887).