Even as the institutional church has suffered in recent years across the West, the heroism of Missionaries in the most dangerous and remote parts of the world has continued unabated.
Today, we have sad news of the killing of an Italian nun in Mozambique.
Sister Maria De Coppi was 84 years old. The Chipene mission at which she had worked had established a church, hospital and schools within the area.
The terrorists shot Sister Maria in the head. This was the third such attack on the mission in as many years.
In a 2021 interview with Italian media, Sister Maria said:
“I try to stay close to the people by listening to what they tell me. Despite material poverty, listening to others remains a great gift, it is recognising their dignity".
The Italian Bishops Conference have said:
"May her sacrifice be a seed of peace and reconciliation in a country which, after years of stability, is once again plagued by violence, caused by Islamist groups who, for some years now, have been sowing terror and death in large areas of the north of the country”
May all of the missionary martyrs rest in peace.