Southern Arabia Vicariate marks 10 years since Yemen Missionaries of Charity martyrdom

On the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom of four Missionaries of Charity and members of the laity in Yemen, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, presided over Mass on March 4 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In his homily, Martinelli highlighted the sisters’ courage and their offering of their lives as martyrs and witnesses to the love of Christ, who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He said their example showed love of neighbor through serving “the poorest of the poor” in the Yemeni city of Aden, “which is part of our apostolic vicariate.”

Martinelli noted that this commemoration comes as the Gulf and the wider Middle East are living through a difficult period. He said the sisters’ witness can be read as “a source of hope that surpasses any human hope,” and he urged the faithful to pray “so that we do not grow weary of witnessing to the Gospel, especially in these times of trial we live today… so that through the intercession of the holy martyrs we may receive the gift of peace and reconciliation in our region and in the whole world.”

He described the anniversary not as a remembrance of defeat but as a celebration of victory, like Christ, whose death “may appear to be a defeat of good or a failure of his mission, but in truth is a triumphant fulfillment.” He also pointed to the Church’s history of those who respond to evil with good and confront hatred with forgiveness, following the example of Christ, who forgave those who crucified him.”

Martyrs of our time

Martinelli recalled Pope Francis’ description of the sisters as “martyrs of our time” and the pope’s reflections on Christian and Muslim lay victims, and on how the “witness of blood” can unite people of different religions.

Four sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta, were killed in Aden on March 4, 2016, after armed men stormed the nursing home the sisters operated.

The attack left Sister Marguerite, 44; Sister Reginette, 31; Sister Judith, 41; and Sister Anselm, 59, dead. Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest, was kidnapped and later released in September 2017. Twelve lay co-workers of different nationalities and religions were also killed in the same attack.

The Missionaries of Charity have been present in Yemen since 1973, responding to an invitation from the government of North Yemen at the time. They opened the nursing home in Aden and have run it since 1992. The sisters continue their presence in the country to this day, serving as a humble yet powerful sign of hope.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News English.