Italian missionary, Burmese catechist beatified as martyrs
Fr Mario Vergara (1910-1950), an Italian missionary, and Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, a Burmese lay catechist, were beatified as martyrs at the cathedral in Aversa, Italy, on May 24.
May 29, 2014
VATICAN: Fr Mario Vergara (1910-1950), an Italian missionary, and Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, a Burmese lay catechist, were beatified as martyrs at the cathedral in Aversa, Italy, on May 24. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the beatification ceremony.
According to an AsiaNews report, the two were slain in Burma (now Myanmar) by rebels who were influenced by anti-Catholic Baptist missionaries. The catechist will be the first person from Myanmar to be beatified.
“May their heroic fidelity to Christ be an encouragement and example to missionaries and especially catechists in mission lands who carry out important and irreplaceable apostolic work, for which the whole Church is grateful,” Pope Francis said following his May 21 general audience. -- CWN
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