Martyr
The Latest
Priest and martyr of communism Father Michał Rapacz beatified in Krakow
Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Father Michał Rapacz in January. The 41-year-old priest was shot twice by communist authorities... Read more
Pope Francis: After 2,000 years the persecution of Christians continues
During Tuesday’s Angelus on the occasion of the feast of St. Stephen, Pope Francis renewed his call for peace. Read more
St. Stephen: Visiting the spot where the first martyr died
A chapel of one form or another memorializing Stephen’s martyrdom has existed at the site since at least the fifth... Read more
The faithful servant of Christ and the Church who was assassinated by Soviet communists
Blessed Theodore Romzha of Mukachevo, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2001, stayed with his people until the end. Read more
The Vatican says a newborn martyr had a ‘baptism of blood.’ What does that mean?
All nine members of the Ulma family, who were murdered by the Nazi regime for sheltering two Jewish families, were... Read more
St. Maximilian Kolbe’s life as a child prepared his path to holiness
Father Raffaele Di Muro, dean of the San Bonaventura-Seraphicum Theological Faculty in Rome and director of the Kolbe chair, speaks... Read more
Remembering the hundreds of thousands of Christians martyred in Vietnam
From 1630 to 1886, somewhere between 130,000 and 300,000 Christians faced martyrdom in Vietnam, often after being held captive and... Read more
Six years after grisly murder, France remembers Father Jacques Hamel
Hamel was killed at the church on July 26, 2016, by supporters of the Islamic State group as he finished... Read more
Catholic priest guillotined by Nazis is beatified in Poland
Fr. Jan Macha was executed in 1942, after serving just 1,257 days as a priest. Read more
This pregnant woman who died in a prison in Spain, became a Martyr of the Rosary
A pregnant woman who found her faith in a Spanish prison during the Civil War (1936-1939) refused to give up... Read more
Feast of Chinese Martyrs an opportunity to pray for persecuted Christians in China
Today, July 9, the Church celebrates the feast day of Chinese Martyrs, 120 faithful Catholics assassinated for their faith between... Read more
Sr. Maria Laura Mainetti: Nun stabbed to death by three teenage girls is beatified
Sr. Maria Laura Mainetti was beatified on June 6, the anniversary of her murder, in Chiavenna, northern Italy. Read more
Countdown to beatification of martyred Italian nun begins with Eucharistic adoration
Sr. Maria Laura Mainetti was stabbed to death by three teenage girls in the town of Chiavenna, Italy, in 2000. Read more
‘My Jesus’: Martyred Italian nun saw Christ in young people
A religious sister who knew Venerable Maria Laura Mainetti said the woman, who was murdered 20 years ago as part... Read more
Teen martyred while protecting the Eucharist beatified in Spain
A 19-year-old Spanish martyr who gave his life while protecting the Eucharist was beatified Saturday at a Mass in the... Read more
Killer of martyred Italian nun: ‘I can have of her only a memory of love’
The three teenage girls who killed Sr. Maria Laura Mainetti 20 years ago attested afterward that while they were stabbing... Read more
Pope Francis declares Catholic sister killed in Satanic ritual a martyr
Pope Francis declared Friday that an Italian religious sister killed by three teenage girls in a Satanic sacrifice was a... Read more
Martyred religious brother from Wisconsin farm family to be beatified in Guatemala
The son of Wisconsin farmers, Brother James Miller, FSC, will be beatified in Guatemala this Saturday, 36 years after he... Read more
St. Stephen’s Day connects Christ’s birth to his salvific mission, Pope Francis says
The feast of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen, falls the day after Christmas — timing that contains an important... Read more
Vatican stamp honors priest martyred by Mafia 25 years ago
“I’ve been expecting you.” These were reportedly the foreboding last words of Blessed Giuseppe "Pino" Puglisi, an Italian priest who... Read more
