LAVEZARES, Northern Samar— An art exhibit has recently been launched here honoring a Spanish Franciscan martyr who served in the province in the early 20th century.
Mounted at the Nuestra Señora de Salvacion Historical and Ecclesiastical Museum, the month-long exhibit pays tribute to Blessed Angel Renera de Diego, OFM, who administered the Lavezares parish from 1915 to 1917.
Launched as part of the National Arts Month celebration this February 2026, the exhibit draws inspiration from this year’s theme, “Ani ng Sining: Katotohanan at Giting” (“Harvest of Arts: Truth and Bravery”).
Through works by local artists, the exhibit explores themes of truth and valor, reconnecting the community with the life and service of Ranera, whose ministry forms part of the town’s ecclesiastical history.
Ranera served in what is now the Diocese of Catarman for more than two decades, from 1906 to 1929, with assignments that included the parishes of Laoang, Catubig, Allen and Catarman.
During the exhibit’s opening on Feb. 12, local historian and cultural worker Carl Sanchez Bordeos delivered a lecture on Ranera’s life, ministry and martyrdom, providing historical context for the artworks.
Ranera returned to Spain in 1929. During the Spanish Civil War, he was arrested in August 1936 and executed by anti-clerical forces.
Pope Benedict XVI beatified Ranera on Oct. 28, 2007, along with 497 other martyrs of the civil war in one of the largest mass beatifications in Church history
