I am happy to let you know that St. John’s now has relics of Blessed Michał Tomaszek and Zbigniew Strzałkowski, two young Conventual Franciscan Missionary Friars from Poland. Since 1989 they lived in the Peruvian Andes, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Pariacoto, in the Diocese of Chimbote. They chose to work among the poor farm workers distributing food and medicine to help the immediate needs of the people. Their youthful enthusiasm was appreciated by the people who responded by helping to build and strengthen a robust faith community. Fr. Michał was loved especially by the children. Fr. Zbigniew visited, comforted, and encouraged the elderly, sick, and troubled.

On August 9, 1991, a group of about twenty guerillas of the revolutionary “Senderoso Luminoso” (Shining Path) broke into their friary, kidnapped them, and murdered them because of their defense of the Gospel values and work with the poor. The guerrillas motivated the killing of the two friars with these words: "they deceive the people because they distribute food of Caritas, which is imperialism; with the recitation of the rosary, the worship of Saints, Mass and the reading of the Bible they preach peace and they therefore make people fall asleep".

Pope Francis gave approval on February 3, 2015 to their beatification after affirming their martyrdom, and the celebration of beatification was celebrated in Peru on December 5, 2015.

The lives and deaths of Blessed Fr. Michał and Fr. Zbigniew show us that it is only by walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, sharing the poverty of the poor, teaching and living the Beatitudes, and leading one another to God, that we can conquer the darkness of our world.

Their relics you can find in our Marian Chaple right next to the relic of St. Peregrine. Blessed Missionary Martyrs ~ Friar Michał Tomaszek and Friar Zbigniew Strzałkowski ~ pray for Us!

God bless!
Fr. Gregg