May 8, Memory of the 19 Martyrs of Algeria

On December 8th, 2018, the beatification of the 19 Martyrs of Algeria was celebrated at Oran, in Algeria. The bishop of Oran, Pierre Claverie, priests, monks and nuns: all of them lived lives of service and love of the Algerian people. All chose to remain in Algeria in full awareness of the danger they faced in the years of violence and conflict; they were killed between May 8th 1994 and August 1st 1996. “They were ordinary people, who made the choice of an unconditional fidelity to God, to the people and the land of Algeria. This tells us that even in the darkest times, there are always signs of hope, there is always a path of fraternity.” (From the Diocese of Algeria press bulletin on the beatification)

French (original) Testament de Fr. Christian de Chergé: www.ocso.org/histoire/saints-blesseds-martyrs/testament-of-christian-de-cherge/?lang=fr

English Testament of Fr. Christian de Chergé: www.ocso.org/history/saints-blesseds-martyrs/testament-of-christian-de-cherge/ 

Arabic Testament of Fr. Christian de Chergé: www.ocso.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/testament-arabe.pdf

Their names :

Frère Henri Vergès - Frère Mariste

Soeur Paul-Hélène Saint-Raymond - Petite Sœur de l'Assomption

Sœur Esther Paniagua Alonso and Sœur Caridad Álvarez Martín - Sœurs Augustines Missionnaires

P. Jean Chevillard, P. Alain Dieulangard, P. Charles Deckers, P. Christian Chessel - Missionnaires d'Afrique (Pères blancs)

Jeanne Littlejohn/ Sœur Angèle-Marie, Denise Leclercq/ Sœur Bibiane - Sœurs de Notre-Dame des Apôtres

Sœur Odette Prévost - Petite Sœur du Sacré-Cœur

P. Christian de Chergé, Fr. Luc Dochier, P. Christophe Lebreton, Fr. Michel Fleury, P. Bruno Lemarchand, P. Celestin Ringeard, Fr. Paul Favre-Miville – Moines de Notre-Dame de l’Atlas, Tibhirine.

Monseigneur Pierre Claverie - Evêque d’Oran – Dominicain