10th Anniversary of the Beatification of the Martyrs of Chimbote
On December 6, 2025, Pope Leo XIV released a message on this 10th anniversary of the beatification of Blessed Friars Michał Tomaszek, and Zbigniew Strzałkowski, and Father Alessandro Dordi.
These three missionary priests shared the life of their communities, celebrating the Eucharist and administering the Sacraments, organizing catechesis and supporting charity in contexts of poverty and violence. In 1991, after deciding to stay where they were carrying out their ministry in the midst of their flock, as genuine pastors, they were murdered out of hatred of the faith. …
they shared the same zeal, the same dedication and the same love for the people - especially the most needy - carrying in their hearts, with pastoral affection, the concerns and sufferings of the inhabitants of those lands. …
The witness of the martyrs of Chimbote shows that life bears fruit to the extent to which one is open to God’s call. Michal was only thirty years old, and Zbigniew thirty-three; they had been exercising their ministry for just a few years, and yet in that youth, sometimes considered inexperienced or fragile, God once again reminded his Church that the fruitfulness of the mission does not depend on the length of the journey, but on the fidelity with which it is travelled. …
Young people, do not be afraid of the Lord's call! Whether to the priesthood, to the consecrated life, or even to the mission ad gentes, to go where Christ is not yet known….
