March 28, 2021 - "Martyrs of 2020"

On this Palm Sunday I think that it would be good to remember twenty missionaries who experienced a violent death in mission lands in 2020.  These priests, seminarians, religious, lay women, and lay men were witnesses to the passion and love of the heart of Jesus.  Let me list the names of these twenty missionaries, their country of origin, and the country in which they were killed:
 
Name of Missionary     Country of Origin     Place of Death
 
Father Jozef (Jef)
Hollanders                           Belgium                South Africa
Augustine Avertse              Nigeria                   Nigeria
Michael Nnadi                     Nigeria                    Nigeria
Philippe Yarga                     Burkina Faso         Burkina Faso
Sister Henriette Alokha      Nigeria                   Nigeria
Sister Lydie Oyanem
 Nzoughe                              Gabon                    Gabon
Fr. Oscar Juárez                 Argentina               Argentina
Fr. Ricardo Antonio
Cortéz                                  El Salvador             El Salvador
Fr. Nomer de Lumen         Philippines             Philippines
Fr. Roberto Malgesini        Italy                        Italy
Lilliam Yunielka                  Nicaragua             Nicaragua
Blanca Marlene
González                             Nicaragua              Nicaragua
Bryan José Coronado
Zeledon                               Nicaragua              Nicaragua
Fr. Adriano da Silva
Barros                                  Brazil                      Brazil
Fr. José Manuel de Jesus
Ferreira                               Venezula                Venezula
Rufinus Tigau                    Indonesia               Indonesia
Fr. Jorge Vaudagna          Argentina               Argentina
Sister Matilda
 Mulengachonzi                 Zambia                  Zambia
Br. Leonardo Grasso         Italy                        Italy
Zhage Sil                            Indonesia              Indonesia
As we remember these missionaries in prayer, let us call to mind these words of Pope Francis:
 
“Today too Jesus needs hearts capable of experiencing vocation as a true love story that urges them to go forth to the peripheries of our world as messengers and agents of compassion.”
 
May the Martyrs of the year 2020 pray for us!
 
Until next week,
Fr. John