Josep Boix, from Juncàs. Honorary Member.

Next, Jordi Piferrer i Deu, author of the book “Camino de Liberation”, gives a summary of the lives of the three Honorary members of the Association: Josep Cirera, Josep Boix de Juncàs and Eugeni Coll de Fenollet, now deceased.

Josep Boix i Oste was born in Juncàs in 1921 and died on Sunday 29.05.05, around noon, at his home in Pont de Peramola. He was therefore 84 years old when he died. Throughout his last years we had many conversations with him in relation to the stay of Saint Josemaria Escrivà de Balaguer at Espluga de les Vaques on November 28, 1937.

Josep Boix met Sant Josemaria at the Espluga de les Vaques on the morning of November 28. Josep was usually hidden in that area that was difficult to access and very close to his house, the house of Juncàs. Along with him there were other people also hidden. The food was almost always brought to them by a maid they had in Juncàs; other times he went there to look for him. The sign they had agreed to know if he could approach his house without any danger, was that they put a sheet or simply a white cloth in the window of the house. He was in hiding because he had been mobilized to go to the front, and because of his religious beliefs he decided not to collaborate with those who at that time governed Catalonia. Now we would say he made a conscientious objection. Later it went to Andorra and from there to Sant Sebastian, in the Basque Country.

The expedition in which Saint Josemaria was going arrived at Espluga de les Vaques around 7 or 8 in the morning, at sunrise. Following the account of the Diaries of some of the expeditioners, the book “Travessant la nit” explains it to us, from which we reproduce some paragraphs below.
“The sun came out during the last part of the way, so they arrived at the Espluga de les Vaques, in the ravine of the Ribalera, when it was already shining and the sun was starting to heat up. That November 28 was Sunday. Immediately, Saint Josemaria looked for a suitable place to celebrate Holy Mass: it would be the last one before crossing the border. The frame was unusual. At about 800 meters above sea level, l’Espluga de les Vaques was a sheltered place, very purposefully so as not to be surprised by militiamen or carabinieri. The inhabitants of Can Juncàs, the nearest farmhouse, collaborated with the fugitives. On the other hand, that place was bounded by a high rocky wall that completely protected it from the north wind, and it is already defended to the south by some hills that protrude about fifty meters. It was a kind of broad depression, very sunny and seemingly inaccessible.”

Josep Boix, son of the owner of Can Juncàs, who was then a young boy, clearly remembered Saint Josemaria years later.

“-I went to Espluga de les Vaques to bring the food my mother prepared for the refugees. I was told that one who had just arrived was a priest. The priest addressed me very attentively, and that’s how I found out that he was going to say Mass right there”.

There were more than twenty people who had not heard Mass or set foot in a church since July of the previous year. For this reason, upon learning that a priest was preparing to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice, the expectation was general.

Josep Boix helped to place the stone that would serve as an altar on top of another larger one, very close to the wall of that carving, to be well protected from the wind. Keep an indelible memory, also for a particular circumstance:

“-If they arrived at eight, at a quarter to nine the Mass was already starting. I sat on a bench we had made of stones, very close to the priest. During the night he had lit a fire in that same place. There were some embers left, which seemed extinguished but were still burning, and when I knelt down I burned myself”.

Saint Josemaria had no choice but to celebrate Mass by remaining on his knees the whole time, since there was no stone high enough; Paco and Miguel helped him. “Everyone was very respectful – writes Pedro Casciaro – and the Mass was exceptionally impressive. Despite the weariness and the singularity of the circumstances, also human, of the moment, the Father celebrated the Holy Mass with great anointing, infecting others with his piety and recollection (…)”.

After speaking many times with Josep Boix, he clarified to us that he brought something to eat early in the morning, but not actually lunch, that other people brought it from Juncàs around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Pedro Casciaro says that it was brought by “Mateo”, Josep Boix thought that it was brought by their maid, Juanita.

Indeed, the Journal written on 28.11.37 by Pedro Casciaro tells us:

“When the Holy Mass was celebrated, we had breakfast, although not very abundantly: bread and sausage with some wine.
At about three in the afternoon, we ate fried rabbit that Mateo brought after his absence.”

Antoni Dalmases says in his Diary of the year 37, that once the Holy Mass was over:

“Los Madrileños give me bread, while we wait for them to bring us ours (we have left the package at home) and so we pass the time talking, eating and reviewing our equipment until the guide arrives. He is a young and determined boy.
At two o’clock we eat”.

Whenever we met with Josep, he referred to this meeting with Saint Josemaria. He had a lot of affection and devotion. He treated him naturally and confidently, like a dear friend. He encouraged us to improve the path that goes to l’Espluga de les Vaques so that many people could go there.

He was very happy to see how we went there, cleaning and marking the path, and he always talked with joy about the Mass he attended on November 28, 1937. The climb to the Canal de la Jaça, which he had climbed many times since as a young man he often went to see his friends from Casa d’Aubenç, which is above the canal. Thanks to his directions we went up safely through this canal that some described as difficult, but he always told us that it was nothing special, as we have been able to verify, as long as the right path is taken, that he he had explained it to us perfectly.

His conversation was kind and positive. He was always happy, even though he had been unable to walk for 25 years and was confined to a wheelchair. He has been an example of patience, strength and joyful conformity to God’s will in adversity and illness.

An anecdote that shows the fond memory he had of the Mass he attended at L’Espluga de les Vaques is that about 15 days before he died, speaking of these memories he told us: “You have not thought of building an altar there in l’Espluga?”. The truth is that we hadn’t thought about it. But since this was his wish a year ago we built an altar there, where several masses have been celebrated.