MONUMENTAL MODERN MARTYRS | KAIROS GLOBAL | APRIL 2022

Author: Steffi Siby

Intro: Steffi Siby takes us through the lives of seven modern day martyrs from across the world.

When we think of the word ‘martyr’, we may immediately think of the early martyrs of the Church who undoubtedly were profound influences. This article looks at martyrs in much more recent times, from the 1900s onwards. They all come from different backgrounds but have one thing in common – their utter and complete faith and love for Christ which led them to lay down their lives for him. 

Blessed Nikolaus Gross 

Nikolaus Gross was born in 1898 near Essen, Germany. He started working as a coal miner in 1915 and he became involved in the Christian Miners’ Union. He went on to become representative for the young miners of St Anthony's Miners Association (KAB), a Catholic miners’ union. He eventually settled in the Ruhr Valley where he married his wife, Elizabeth, and had seven children. He was a devoted father who raised his children to uphold good Catholic values. 

Nikolaus had to confront the political changes within Germany and the rise of Adolf Hitler. When the Nazis came to power, Nikolaus had become the editor of the West German Workers’ Newspaper, an organ of the KAB. In addition to guiding Catholic workers on social and labour issues, he was able to speak out about his Catholic faith when it had become dangerous to do so. Given the moral and social dilemma that arose due to the political situation, he realised that this could be only countered by spiritual efforts. 

Due to his strong opinions, he was labelled as an ‘enemy of the state’ and became a target of the Nazis. The newspaper was banned permanently in 1938 but Nikolaus tried to continue the work of KAB. In 1943, Gross wrote in a booklet, ‘If a generation must pay the highest price, death, for its short life, we look for the answer in ourselves in vain. We find it only in Him in whose hand we are safe in life and in death. We never know what problems are waiting to test the power and strength of our souls.... Man's ways lie in obscurity. But even darkness is not without light. Hope and faith, which always hasten ahead of us, already have a presentiment of the breaking of a new dawn’.

After years of political activism, Nikolaus was arrested on August 12, 1944. His wife recounted signs of torture on his hand and arms. His letters from the prison and the witness of the chaplain, Fr Peter Buchholz gives evidence that he persevered in prayer even in his dire position. 

Blessed Nikolaus Gross was executed on January 23, 1945. The priest who was with him at the time of his death testified, ‘Gross bowed his head silently during the blessing. His face already seemed illuminated by the glory into which he was getting ready to enter.’ He was beatified in 2001 by Pope St John Paul II.

Reflection

In his doctrine of faith written in 1943, Nikolaus wrote:  ‘The majority of great achievements come into being through the daily performance of one's duties in the little things of everyday routine.’ Blessed Nikolaus emphasises how carrying out our daily duties can be of immense importance. We may think that this is mundane but we can only be faithful in big things if we spend our lives being faithful in every little thing too. 

Blessed Benedict Daswa 

Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa was born in 1946 in the village of Mbahe in the province of Limpopo, South Africa. At the age of seventeen, Benedict was baptised and received into the Catholic Church. Tshimangadzo chose Benedict as his baptismal name inspired by St Benedict and also adopted the Saint’s motto, Ora et labora (pray and work). Benedict led a devout Christian life in which he passionately loved Christ and Mother Mary. His faith blossomed through daily prayer, Scripture reading, the Eucharist, regular confession and helping the poor.

Blessed Benedict was a committed school principal who actively promoted the welfare of his local village community. He served as a teacher and catechist and was a highly respected individual, known for his honesty and integrity. Being Catholic, he realised he had to completely dissociate with the practices of witchcraft and sorcery in his traditional African culture. He publicly opposed them which led others to resent him. However, he willingly endured the risks for himself and for his family.

In January 1990, his village was struck by a series of strong storms. The elders stated that it was due to black magic and demanded money from all the residents to pay for a sorcerer who would resolve it. Benedict asserted that storms were a natural phenomenon and refused to join his neighbours and stood up for his faith.

Consequently, on the 2nd of February 1990 as he was driving home in the evening, he was ambushed and attacked by a mob of young people who stoned and clubbed him to death. He was targeted and hated for his beliefs yet he prayed on his knees as they killed him. According to the diocese investigation into his death, when Daswa saw a man coming towards him with a club to deliver the final blow, he said, ‘God, into your hands, receive my spirit.’

He was beatified as a martyr for the faith on 13 September 2015, the first South African-born Catholic to be beatified. 

Reflection

As he was a devoted husband and loving father, Blessed Benedict Daswa is a relatable role model for Christian families. He nurtured the faith within his family. Furthermore, he was an active member of the local Catholic community acting as a voluntary catechist and youth leader. It is because he lived out his faith in all aspects of his life that his faith was strong enough to persevere even in the face of death. 

Blessed Miguel Pro

Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez was born on January 13, 1891 in Guadalupe, Mexico. Miguelito, as his family lovingly called him, was from childhood very spiritual and very mischievous, known for his practical jokes. He was close to his older sister who entered a cloistered convent. This led him to recognise his own vocation to the priesthood. Although he was popular in the worldly sense and could have inherited a thriving business from his father, Miguel gave it all up for Jesus and entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1911. Miguel was afflicted with a severe stomach condition which did not improve despite having three operations. In 1926, his superiors allowed him to return to Mexico which was going through terrible religious persecution.

The churches were forced to close and priests went into hiding. Miguel had to spend the remainder of his life in a secret ministry to the Mexican Catholics who persevered in their faith. He took care of the people’s spiritual needs but he went further by carrying out charitable works of mercy by helping the poor in Mexico City. He undertook many disguises to carry out his secret ministry. In the night, he would be dressed as a beggar to baptise infants, bless marriages and celebrate Mass. He would visit jail dressed as a police officer to bring Holy Viaticum to condemned Catholics. When going to affluent areas to gather money for the poor, he would show up dressed as a fashionable businessman. His many exploits could rival those of the most daring spies. The most important thing was that, in everything he did, Fr Pro remained obedient to his superiors and was filled with the joy of serving Christ, his King.

Miguel was falsely accused in the bombing attempt on a former Mexican president and became a wanted man. Betrayed to the police, he was sentenced to death without the benefit of any legal process. On Nov. 23, 1927, as Father Pro was led from his prison cell to the firing squad waiting to kill him, he stopped and blessed the soldiers. He paused for a moment, knelt on the ground and prayed quietly. Miguel refused a blindfold, instead choosing to bravely face his executioners with a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other. He held out his arms in imitation of the crucified Christ and shouted out, ‘May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, Thou knowest I am innocent! With all my heart I forgive my enemies.’ His last words were ‘Viva Cristo Rey’, ‘Long live Christ the King!’

Reflection

When things go wrong, how do we react? Blessed Miguel endured many difficulties in terms of his health and then having to hide his identity as a priest. However, he quickly adapted to these difficulties with enthusiasm. The manner in which he faced his eventual death is inspiring and a testament to the depth of his love for God.

Blessed Charles de Foucald

De Foucauld was born in Strasbourg, France in 1858 and raised by his aristocratic grandfather after being orphaned at the age of six. He rejected his faith and joined the French army. As a young man, he lived a life of indulgence and was known to have an immature sense of humour. This led him to be dismissed from the army as he would not give up his mistress.

He returned to France and, with the guidance of a priest, came back to his Catholic faith at the age of 28. He joined the Cistercian Trappist order and was a monk in France and Syria for seven years. He also lived as a hermit for a period near a convent of Poor Clares in Nazareth. He was ordained a priest in 1901 at age 43 and left for northern Africa to serve among the Tuareg people, a nomadic ethnic group, saying he wanted to live among ‘the furthest removed, the most abandoned.’

The outbreak of World War I led to attacks on the French in Algeria. In December 1, 1916, an armed gang of fanatics set out to deal with Charles. According to an eyewitness, the priest was dragged but he remained silent, did not resist and seemed immensely at peace. He was forced to kneel and offered freedom if he renounced Christ. He courageously declined and was shot in the head. His body in a kneeling position with his hands tied behind his back was left in the sand while his killers destroyed his home and oratory. 

Reflection

‘The love of God, the love for one’s neighbour…All religion is found there…How to get to that point? Not in a day since it is perfection itself: it is the goal we must always aim for, which we must unceasingly try to reach and that we will only attain in heaven.’ These words of Blessed Charles remind us that ultimately it comes down to love of God and love of neighbour. We have to assess every action we do through this lens and ensure we are acting out of love and not self-interest. The Prayer of Abandonment by Blessed Charles Foucard is a beautiful prayer we can use to surrender ourself to God’s love.

Blessed Sr Rani Maria

Mariam Vattalil was born in Kerala on 29 January 1954 and brought up in the faith.  Even at a young age, she regularly attended Holy Mass. During her last year at school, she felt the call of the Lord to become a nun. She made her first profession in Franciscan Clarist Congregation on 1st of May 1974 under the new name Rani Maria, the word Rani having the meaning ‘Regina’ or queen. 

She felt a missionary call to serve in North India. She first worked as a teacher and then became heavily involved in social activities to help the poor and downtrodden. She organised educational programmes for the children, the young, and the elderly. She discovered that the tribals of the villages had unconsciously fallen into the debt trap laid by tradesmen. The villagers had become reliant on the money lenders who exploited them. Through various initiatives, Sr Rani Maria made them aware of their rights and injustice. This led to her being disliked by their oppressors. 

On 25th February 1995, Sr Rani Maria started her journey down to Kerala by bus. A young man kept her bag near the driver and asked her to sit in the back seat which was unusual as sisters were always given front seats. Samundar Singh sat near Sr Rani Maria. His accomplice Jeevan Singh began to insult her saying: ‘Why have you come here from Kerala? Have you come to convert these poor tribal people to Christianity? We will not allow that.’

Samundar Singh rose from his seat and asked for the bus to be stopped.  He got down from the bus and broke a coconut against a rock on the road side, a sacred ritual for their gods.  With pieces of the broken coconut in his hands he re-entered the bus and gave them out. He offered a piece to Sr Rani Maria but suddenly withdrew it as if to mock her. She asked him, ‘Why are you so overjoyed today?’ Brandishing a knife he said, ‘Just for this,’ and thrust it into her stomach. He stabbed her repeatedly. He dragged her out of the bus and stabbed her to death.  The post-mortem registered 40 major injuries besides 14 bruises.  Till her last breath, she kept on saying, ‘Jesus! Jesus!’ 

Reflection

Blessed Sr Rani Maria is an incredible example of someone who acted out their faith through helping others. She acted out against injustice even though it ultimately led to her death. She died proclaiming the name Jesus on her lips. After she had spent all her life following and loving Jesus, dying for him would be her final act of surrender and love. 

Blessed Rutilio Grande

Rutilio Grande was born on 5 July 1928 to a poor family in El Salvador. As a result of his parents’ divorce, he was raised by his older brother and grandmother who was a devout Catholic woman. When he was 12, Rutilio made an impression on Archbishop Gonzalez during his annual visit to their village and was invited to attend the high school seminary in San Salvador and went on to enter the Jesuits aged 17.

Father Grande was ordained in 1959 and served as the prefect of discipline and the professor of pastoral theology in the diocesan seminary from 1965 to 1970. He became the pastor of Aguilares in 1972 and encouraged the local population to fight for land reform and justice; he also became a member of the priests’ senate in 1974. Father Grande understood that as a priest he had to be an example of loving service and self-sacrifice. He was deeply involved in the lives of the people he served, Grande led with the Gospel but did not shy away from speaking on social and political issues, which had profound consequences for the Church. He underwent struggles with his physical and mental health. He was a contemporary of St Oscar Romero who was influenced by him. 

On February 13, 1977, Father Grande said Mass in honour of a Colombian priest who had been recently arrested in El Salvador and deported without charges. In his sermon, he declared: ‘I’m quite aware that very soon the Bible and the Gospel won’t be allowed to cross our borders…because all the pages are subversive. And I think that if Jesus himself came across the border at Chalatengo, they wouldn’t let him in…without any doubt, they would crucify him again.’ As a direct result of this sermon, on March 12, while driving from Aguilares to El Paisnal with 15-year-old Nelson Lemus and 72-year-old Manuel Solorzano, his car was sprayed with gunfire and he died instantly. He was declared a Blessed in January 2022.

Reflection

In Blessed Rutilio Grande, we find someone who underwent struggles on a personal level such as with his physical and mental health. He also had to deal with conflict with authorities and others. However, he remained true to his values in the face of opposition and ultimately death. 

Servant of God Akash Bashir

Akash Bashir was born on June 22, 1994 in Risalpur, Pakistan. He was a student at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore and one of the young people active in the parish community of the Church of Saint John.

Akash, a volunteer security guard, was on duty at the church entrance gate on Sunday, March 15, 2015. He spotted a man who wanted to enter the church wearing an explosive belt on his body. Akash blocked him at the entrance gate, stopping the terrorist's plan to destroy everyone in the church. The terrorist blew himself up and the young Akash Bashir died with him. Akash's last words were: ‘I will die, but I will not let you in’.

His bravery and courage meant that more than a thousand Catholics inside the church that day were saved from death. On the feast of St John Bosco (January 31st), Pope Francis proclaimed Akash Bashir as ‘Servant of God’. He is the first Servant of God from Pakistan. 

Reflection

In this day and age, when it might feel like the younger generation are not particularly enthusiastic about their faith, the example of Akash Bashir stands out. It shows that there are still many young people with the bravery and courage, led by the Holy Spirit who remain strong even when faced with danger and death.

The legacy left by these great men and women inspire and encourage us in our own walk of faith. We many not face persecution and the threat of death for our faith. But we do face situations regularly where we can either choose to live out our faith boldly or remain passive. When we feel hesitant to speak out, let us remember these brave men and women who willingly gave up their life. Let us pray for the courage to have an enduring faith. 

Steffi Siby lives in Blackpool, England. She blogs at spreadyoursmile.home.blog. She also writes articles about her faith and hopes to spread the light and love of the gospel through her words.