The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris hosted this weekend the Mass for the beatification of 50 young Catholic apostolic martyrs, killed by the Nazis between 1944 and 1945 out of hatred for the faith, during the German occupation in World War II. The celebration was presided over by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg.
After the Angelus prayer on this third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete), Pope Leo XIV recalled the ceremony and expressly mentioned the new blesseds: Raymond Cayré, priest; Gérard-Martin Cendrier, friar minor; Roger Vallé, seminarian; Jean Mestre, layman; and forty-six other companions, from about thirty French dioceses.
Witnesses of the Gospel persecuted out of hatred for the faith
Leo XIV praised the new blesseds as “brave witnesses of the Gospel”, persecuted and killed for remaining faithful to the Church and to their people in one of the darkest periods of the 20th century. Leo XIV also recalled the 124 martyrs who were beatified in Jaén, also victims of religious persecution, this Saturday, December 13.
In the apostolic letter sent to Paris on the occasion of the celebration, the Pope established that the liturgical feast of the 50 new blesseds will be celebrated every year on May 5.
“Martyrs of the apostolate” at the service of their brothers
The cardinal highlighted that these young people—priests, religious, seminarians, members of Catholic Action, and scouts—responded to the call of the then Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard, and Father Jean Rodhain, to provide spiritual assistance to French workers deported to Germany for forced labor.
Most of the new blesseds were between 20 and 35 years old and shared the fate of more than a million young Frenchmen sent to factories and labor camps, deprived of religious assistance. In that context, Hollerich explained, they understood the urgency of accompanying them humanly and spiritually.
“They were true martyrs of the apostolate”, affirmed the archbishop, emphasizing that their life of service was crowned by the sacrifice of martyrdom. Thanks to their charity, he added, they managed to create “islands of humanity” even in the hell of the concentration camps, returning hope, peace, and strength to those around them.
Testimonies of faith until the end
Among the new blesseds is the young scout Joël Anglès d’Auriac, beheaded at 22 years old in December 1944, after confessing, receiving communion, and praying the rosary. Before dying, he said: “I am in complete peace… because I am going towards Jesus Christ”.
Another of the blesseds, Jean Mestre, renounced requesting an exemption that would have spared him deportation and wrote to his mother explaining that, although he loved her deeply, he loved Jesus Christ even more and felt he had to be a witness among his companions.
A message for the Church and young people today
In the final part of his homily, Cardinal Hollerich emphasized that the witness of these martyrs reminds us that Christian faith is not a private reality, but must be expressed in concrete service to one’s neighbor. He also pointed out that the Nazi contempt for religious freedom turned these young people into authentic martyrs of religious freedom.