Lasallian Studies 2 (LCLSTWO)
Module 2: Lasallian Saints
Name of Lasallian Saint: ​St. Jaime Hilario Barbal
What social issues did the
Lasallian Saint observe
during his time?
How do you think the saint
felt about these issues?
How did he act to address
these issues?
The social issues that he
experienced during this time
were hearing problems,
political unrest and
persecution for his religious
beliefs. During his time as a
teacher, St. Jaime Hilaro
suffered from hearing
problems throughout his
years of teaching before
retiring and becoming a
gardener for the Lasallian
Brothers. During the
mid-1930s, the Spanish Civil
War was starting, and
Spanish officials were trying
to distance themselves from
religious figures. Because of
this, people with strong
religious beliefs were being
persecuted, and some were
even subjected to execution.
St. Jaime himself was a
victim during these times, and
was arrested for his affiliation
with the Lasallian Brothers.
Regarding his hearing
problem, we think he felt
somber about it since he was
forced to leave his sixteen
year teaching profession,
however, he did not give a
pessimistic mindset about it.
Instead, with a heavy heart,
he continued to live on with
his vocation as a brother and
worked in the garden at the
house of formation. As for his
persecution for his religious
beliefs, we think he felt
fearless because he could
have been freed by claiming
to be only a gardener, but
instead, he insisted on his
identity as a religious and
thereby sealed his doom.
Oppression against the
religious was prevalent
during St. Jaime Hilario’s
time, and following a visit to
his hometown, he was
persecuted and subsequently
tried for his affiliation with
the Church. Despite knowing
that it would cost him his life,
St. Jaime Hilario
symbolically professed his
faith by affirming that he was
a Brother instead of a
gardener. This proclamation
was how he addressed the
intolerance of the religious
during his time, resulting in
his final stand with the words,
“To die for Christ, my young
friends, is to live.”
Group Members: ​Zofia Canlas, Jason Chua, Drew Cua, Andre Miranda, Jardine Sy, Nico Tagle