Twenty missionaries killed worldwide in 2023

Source: Fides

Twenty missionaries met violent deaths around the world in 2023 - two more than in 2022.

The Pontifical Mission Societies reported on Saturday that one bishop, eight priests, two men religious, one seminarian, one novice and seven laypeople were killed.

AFRICA

Nigeria

Fr Isaac Achi died in an arson attack on his parish, in the State of Niger, carried out by an armed group.

Fr Charles Onomhoale Igechi was shot dead by armed men, along Agbor Road, in Edo State.

Seminarian Na'aman Danlami, was burned alive in an attack by bandits on the parish where he served in the State of Kaduna.

Benedictine novice Godwin Eze, was kidnapped from the monastery in Eruku, Kwara State, and then murdered.

Burkina Faso

Fr Jacques Yaro Zerbo 67, was killed by unidentified armed men, in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, on his way to carry out pastoral activities.

Brother Moses Simukonde Sens, was killed by a stray bullet near a military checkpoint in the capital, Ouagadougou.

Tanzania

Fr Pamphili Nada died while being taken to hospital after suffering an attack in his parish, in the Arusha region.

Cameroon

Brother Cyprian Ngeh was attacked and stabbed to death in the street in Bamenda.

DR Congo

Fr Léopold Feyen was stabbed to death in in his parish in Kinshasa

AMERICAS

Mexico

Fr Juan Angulo Fonseca was shot dead in the state of Jalisco.

Fr Javier García Villafaña was killed on the road between Cuitzeo and Huandacareo, on his way to celebrate Mass.

Gertrudis Cruz de Jesús and Gliserina Cruz Merino, young catechists, were killed in an ambush on their way to a Eucharistic procession in the state of Oaxaca.

USA

Mgr David O'Connell, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, was killed by the husband of the bishop's housekeeper.

Fr Stephen Gutgsell died following a knife attack in the rectory of the church in Fort Cahloun, Nebraska

ASIA

Philippines

Junrey Barbante and Janine Arenas, Catholic students and volunteers from the university chaplaincy community, were among victims of the bombing during Mass in the State University of Mindanao, in the province of Lanao del Sur.

MIDDLE EAST

Palestine

Samar Kamal Anton, and her mother, Nahida Khalil Anton, were killed by Israeli army snipers as they walked to the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Theresa, in Gaza. Nahida was shot first. Samar was killed as she tried to carry her mother to safety.

EUROPE

Spain

Diego Valencia, layman, sacristan of the parish of Nuestra Senora de La Palma, in Algeciras, Cadiz, was killed by a young Moroccan armed with a machete. Several others were injured in the attack.