This Monday, May 26, the liturgical feast of the Martyrs of Picpus will be celebrated at the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Paix (35 rue de Picpus, Paris) at 7:15 p.m. This marks the third celebration since their beatification in April 2023, a moment of special significance for the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and the whole Church.
The Blessed Ladislas, Polycarp, Marcellin, and Frézal, religious of the Sacred Hearts, were martyred on May 26, 1871, along with Father Henri Planchat, in the midst of a France torn apart by civil war and deep social inequalities. They died for being priests, witnesses of the Gospel to the end.
During more than 40 days of captivity, these brothers offered their lives to Christ as an intercession for peace and the good of their country. Their witness of faith, hope, and love remains a shining light for our times.
The Eucharistic celebration will include the veneration of their relics and will be an opportunity to pray for peace in France and throughout the world—especially at a time when many nations are suffering from the horrors of war. May their offering inspire us to build a more united and reconciled society, open to the Gospel of peace.
05/26/2025