The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has recognised the martyrdom of more than 20 French Young Christian Workers leaders, as well as chaplains and seminarians linked to the movement. Source: Australian Cardijn Institute.
Pope Leo XIV approved the decree, which also recognised the martyrdom of many more French lay leaders and priests from other movements including the Scouts and the Young Christian Students (YCS).
Australian Cardijn Institute secretary, Stefan Gigacz, welcomed the announcement.
“It’s a tremendous acknowledgment by the Church of the extraordinary sacrifice of so many French YCW leaders, seminarians and chaplains,” he said. “And it comes at a providential moment being the year of the centenary of the movement’s official foundation in Belgium in 1925.
“Let’s also remember that, as well as the French Jocist martyrs, there were many more YCW and YCS martyrs from other countries during the Second World War, including Belgian lay co-founders, Fernand Tonnet and Paul Garcet, as well as Hungarian Blessed Sister Sara Salkahazi,” Dr Gigacz added.
“YCW founder, Joseph Cardijn, once stated that one hundred Belgian YCW leaders and chaplains had lost their lives in concentration camps or been executed for their apostolic activities during the war.
“Much more of this remarkable history remains to be written,” he noted.
In addition to the French jocist martyrs, many Belgian JOC and KAJ leaders and chaplains also lost their lives during World War II, including lay co-founders, Fernand Tonnet and Paul Garcet.
In Hungary, Blessed Sara Salkahazi, who was a chaplain to the Girls YCW movement, was killed for her role in saving the lives of many Jewish children.
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YCW and YCS martyrs to be beatified (Australian Cardijn Institute) (ACI)
