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In Humble Fidelity: SVD Missionaries Live the Spirit of Missionary Martyrs
GMD
This day brings us back to the witness of St. Oscar Romero, who was killed while celebrating Mass in 1980. His life reminds us that following Jesus is not always easy. Sometimes it asks for everything. Every year, the Church marks this day with prayer, fasting, and reflection. The theme for 2026, “People of Spring,” reminds us that God always brings new life, even in moments of suffering.
As SVD missionaries, we honor the memory not only of our four confreres—Louis Mzyk, Stanislaus Kubista, Aloysius Liguda, and Gregory Frackowiak—who lost their lives during World War II, but of all those who remained faithful to the end. There have been many more throughout our 150-year missionary journey—all those who remained faithful until they gave their lives. Their story is not just something we remember. It is a story we continue to live.
Today, many missionaries live this same spirit. They are simple. They stay close to the people. They walk with the poor, the tired, and the forgotten. Most of them are not known. But they continue to love, serve, and remain present.
Maybe we are also called to live this kind of witness. In our own small ways. In our families. In our community. In our daily choices.
The Day of Missionary Martyrs reminds us: mission is not only far away. It begins where we are. And in quiet fidelity, new life can begin again.
