The JOC Argentina is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Argentine and International YCW leader and lay collaborator, José Serapio Palacio, who was killed on 13 December 1975.
In a twist of fate, his anniversary fell on the same day that the French Church celebrated the martyrdom of more than twenty YCW and YCS martyrs of World War II.
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Pepe and Amalia Palacio (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
Twenty YCW, YCS and Scout leaders, chaplains and seminarians were beatified at a special mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris on Saturday 13 December 2025.
Papal legate Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, who is himself a former YCW and YCS chaplain, presided over the ceremony. Recalling the heroic sacrifices of the French martyrs, Cardinal Hollerich said “faith is never private; it must find expression in the concrete service of our sisters and brothers”.
“Let me make an appeal to the young people of France,” he continued. “You who call yourselves young Catholics, you are devoted to the adoration of Our Lord, and that is as it should be: may this love of Christ impel you to become missionary apostles.
“And all of you young people, perhaps not attending church, from France and Europe, you who no longer see meaning in your lives, you are searching for an identity that gives you purpose, look to Christ, Prince of Peace, Prince of love and not of hate, learn from him as your elder brothers, martyrs, beatified today, learn from him to commit yourselves to the good of your brothers and sisters! Your life can be so beautiful, and you will see this beauty in your life by following Christ.”
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Cardinal Hollerich’s homily (English)
Homélie du Cardinal Hollerich (Français)
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Here is a list of YCW and YCS leaders, chaplains and seminarians to be beatified today with links to their biographies (some not yet complete).
YCW leaders
Jean Lépicier (1921-1945), died at Buchenwald;
Bernard Lemaire (1920-1944), died of typhus at Buchenwald;
Maurice Grandet (1920-1944), died of typhus at Buchenwald;
René Ponsin (1923-1945), died at Buchenwald;
Claude-Colbert Lebeau (1922-1945), died at Zöschen;
Jean Chavet (1922-1945), died of typhus at Mauthausen;
André Parsy (1922-1944), interned at Zöschen, died at Trebitz;
André Vallée (1919-1945), died at Flossenbürg;
Henri Marrannes (1923-1945), died in Zwickau;
Louis Pourtois (1919-1945), died in Mauthausen; Camille Millet (1922-1945), died in Flossenbürg;
Marcel Carrier (1922-1945), died in Neustadt during the “death march”;
Alfredo Dall’Oglio (1921-1944), Italian naturalised French, died in Wuhlheide;
Marcel Touquet (1914-1945), died in Ravensbrück;
Lucien Croci (1919-1945), died in Barth;
Jean Mestre (1924-1944), died shortly after his arrest;
Jean Perriolat (1920-1945), died in Mauthausen;
René Rouzé (1922-1945), died in Dora-Mittelbau;
Henri Euzenat (1920-1945), who died at Dachau;
Eugène Lemoine (1920-1945) (also a Scout), died at Zöschen;
Bernard Morizot (1924-1945) (also a Scout), interned at Buchenwald and shot.
YCS leaders
Jean Préhu (1920-1945), YCS lay leader (and Scout), died at Dachau.
So too did YCS leader, Jean Chavet, who was also a YCW leader (see above)
Priests
René Giraudet (1907-1945), interned at Bergen-Belsen, sick with typhus, died in Paris;
Victor Dillard (1897-1945), who died at the Dachau concentration camp;
Louis Doumain (1920-1944), died at the Zöschen concentration camp;
Pierre de Porcaro (1904-1945), who died at the Dachau concentration camp.
Jocist seminarians
Roger Vallée (1920-1944), who died at Mauthausen;
Jean Tinturier (1921-1945), who died at Mauthausen.
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Martyrs of the YCW and YCS (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
A new church named after YCW martyr, Blessed Marcel Callo is under construction in his home city of Rennes, France.
Located among apartment towers in the Baud-Chardonnet district, it is being built in the parish of Saint-Hélier.
Originally expected to open this month, the official opening will now take place on 7 February 2026, according to Olivier Bertrand, a member of the Friends of Marcel Callo.
SOURCE
À Rennes, l’inauguration de la nouvelle église Marcel-Callo est reportée à 2026 (actu.fr)
Marcel Callo (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
The Cardijn Community International in Ivory Coast held its inaugural General Assembly in Abidjan on Sunday 12 October 2025.
The theme chosen for the assembly was “The role of committed Catholic lay people in the consolidation and promotion of a synodal Church.”
“Synodality means ‘walking together,” noted Dr Innocent Gamsore, who delivered the opening address. “It expresses the identity of the Church as the People of God on mission, listening to the Holy Spirit.”
“Pope Francis relaunched this vision of a Church founded on communion, participation, and mission, where each baptised person acts with co-responsibility. It calls for a conversion of heart, a pastoral style based on dialogue and service, and recognition of the active role of the laity,” he explained.
“Catholic Action, faithful to the See – Judge – Act method, trains spiritually and socially committed Christians to transform society according to the Gospel: lived faith, justice, ecology, culture, and solidarity,” Lazare Kabran added.
“The Cardjin International Community (CCI) embodies this spirit: a global network of reflection and action, combining intelligence, faith, and concrete commitment to build a just, fraternal, and sustainable society, serving the common good and human dignity,” he pointed out.
The General Assembly concluded by formulating a series of strategic recommendations aimed at consolidating the structure, training, and outreach of the Cardijn International Community – Côte d’Ivoire Section.
These recommendations were structured around three priority areas: governance, training, and monitoring and evaluation.
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I send you my warmest greetings and congratulate you on the centenary of the Young Christian Workers (YCW). 100 years—on such anniversaries, it is customary to congratulate the centenarian on a lifetime of achievements and honor their accomplishments in the final stages of their life. But the YCW is different: it is a centenarian bursting with youth!
You are celebrating this as it should be, with an impressive program for a gathering of generations and international exchange. What would your founder, the future Cardinal Joseph Léon Cardijn, have said if he had known this in Brussels in the early days of your movement? He would certainly have been very proud. At the same time, I imagine he would be shocked by the working conditions that many people around the world still face every day. This is not a problem specific to one country—an international organization like the YCW certainly knows this better than I do. We are confronted with the concerns and problems of working people, especially young people and young adults, on our own doorstep in every country, wherever we live.
The YCW advocates a Christian and socio-ethical attitude
The YCW has a proven tool for identifying situations of abuse, recognizing them as such, and then empowering people to take responsibility. The formula for this method, which is also found in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, is “see – judge – act.” If we commit ourselves to others in the footsteps of Christ, this is at least as necessary today as it was when the YCW was founded in 1925. I associate the attitude of the YCW above all with the following values and principles: human dignity, solidarity and justice, education and training, tolerance and an international outlook. These values and principles are reflected in the Christian view of humanity and society. I share the attitude of the YCW, which means that for me, for our dioceses, for the German Bishops’ Conference and for the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) in Brussels, these values and principles are indispensable.
The YCW brings a perspective of work in dignity
Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical letter Laborem exercens that work serves to make us “more human.” Pope Francis said during his general audience on May 1, 2013: “Work […] fills us with dignity; it makes us similar to God.” This is the key point and the appropriate conclusion: good work is based on the dignity of every human being. On this subject, on April 2, 2025, the Commission for Social and Societal Issues of the German Bishops’ Conference published a discussion paper entitled “The Reconciliatory Power of Work.” We are aware that the world of paid work causes conflicts, differences of interest, and questions of distribution. But it is precisely in the face of poor working conditions that we draw attention to the positive power of work. For work is not only a means to an end. Good work contributes to a fulfilling life and good coexistence. It creates community, because work brings together people from different backgrounds and with different life experiences. The YCW realized 100 years ago that work needed an ethical compass and that it presupposed the equal dignity of every human being.
The YCW aims to promote the skills and social participation of young people
To achieve this, a good social and training policy is needed to enable people to do their jobs and participate in social life. Good work can therefore also be a place where democracy is learned in practice: in everyday working life, we learn to get involved, take responsibility and tolerate different opinions. These are not secondary things – they are basic democratic training! Work thus enables people to participate in social life. This has always been your goal within the YCW, especially for young people – in accordance with the spirit of your founder Joseph Cardijn. Thus, the conviction that “The life of a young worker is worth more than all the gold in the world, for he is a child of God” is perhaps more relevant than ever. That is why I would like to encourage you in your commitment to the YCW and send you my warmest regards, wishing you every success for at least the next 100 years and God’s blessing for your activities.
Bonn/Hildesheim, April 2025
Dr. Heiner Wilmer SCJ Bishop of Hildesheim, President of the Commission for Social and Societal Issues (VI) of the German Bishops’ Conference and Bishop Delegate to the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE)
The diocesan process for the cause for canonisation of French YCW founder-chaplain, Fr Georges Guérin, concluded at a ceremony in Paris on 16 May 2025.
Vicar-general Mgr Michel Guéguen presided at the event which took place at the office of the Workers’ Catholic Action (ACO) movement.
Born on 24 October, 1891 in Grandménil, commune of Écrouves (Meurthe-et-Moselle), Fr Guérin died on March 15, 1972 in Paris.
An apprentice metal tester then an office worker, he was ordained a priest of the diocese of Paris in 1925 and was appointed vicar at St Vincent de Paul parish in Clichy, an inner suburb.
Appointed as chaplain to the new movement in 1927, he remained in this post until 1950.
Georges Guérin is now recognised as a “servant of God.”
The process now moves to Rome, where another investigation will rule on the heroic nature of his virtues and eventual recognition as “venerable.”
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Clôture de l’enquête diocésaine pour la cause de l’abbé Georges Guérin (Diocèse de Paris)
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Georges Guérin (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
Stefan Gigacz, Joseph Cardijn, Georges Guérin and the Jocist Network at Vatican II
Cardijn Community International convenor, MJ Ruben has issued the following statement mourning the death and celebrating the legacy of Pope Francis:
Cardijn Community International (CCI) expresses its deep sorrow and shock at the death of Pope Francis today.
Pope Francis was the first non European Pope in 1300 years. He was the first Latin American and first Jesuit Pope.
He stood for social justice, reforms in the Church, came out with strong comments on many traditions of the structural Church, was a champion of Ecological Education and more importantly stood for world peace.
Pope Francis tried his best to make the Church, a Church of the Poor.
CCI looks forward to the continuation of the reforms and dreams of Pope Francis and hopes for a suitable choice in the next few days guided by the Holy Spirit.
Rest in eternal peace Papa Francis! You have done enough!
The Political Committee of the World Meeting of Popular Movements organisation, which includes the World Movement of Christian Workers, has issued a statement mourning the death of Pope Francis.
“With deep sorrow and immense gratitude, the popular movements of the world bid farewell to our brother Francis —pope, pastor, and prophet— who walked with those discarded by history and taught us that it is not enough to survive: we must live with dignity,” the statement begins.
It continues:
Our beloved Pope Francis was not a distant ally, but a companion on the journey. From the fi rst World Meeting in 2014 to his fi nal message, he saw in the most humble and rightless workers, in those without land, shelter, or work, a transformative force, a living hope, a seed of fraternity and friendship capable of building a truly inhabitable world. He gave us a voice, recognized us as “social poets”, and entrusted us with a mission that we must now honor with even greater commitment.
He walked alongside us and taught us that land, housing, and work are sacred rights—and that fi ghting for them is not populism nor ideology: it is Gospel and it is social justice. He reminded us that Christian faith —and indeed any human conscience— cannot silence the cry of the suff ering people or make peace with the culture of discard. His magisterium was tenderness with courage, denunciation with compassion, politics with love.
He gave us trust and also a mandate: “You are not insignifi cant; you are at the forefront”. He warned us against the logic of individualism, corruption, and war. He denounced the power that kneels before money instead of justice. He called on us to care for our common home, to confront structures of sin with the face of the people building the common good, to dream together, and to leave no one behind.
Today, Francis departs, but he does not leave us. He remains in our struggles, in our assemblies, in every workplace, in every community kitchen, in every urban garden, in every neighborhood, in every act of resistance and every work of solidarity. His faith became concrete hope. His word became community. His heart, a home for all peoples.
In the name of the excluded who embraced him as their own, in the name of those who continue to believe in the power of tenderness and in the power of a collective “we!, we say: Thank you, Francis. Thank you, brother. May your memory sustain us, may your example guide us, and may your legacy live on in every struggle for human dignity everywhere.
Signed by
Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) Brazil | Union of Workers of the Popular Economy (UTEP) Argentina | Slum Dwellers International (SDI) | World Movement of Christian Workers (WMCW) | PICO Network United States | Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH) and Spin Time Italy.
An initiative of Pope Francis, the World Meeting of Popular Movements’ (WMPM) purpose is to create an “encounter” between Church leadership and grassroots organizations working to address the “economy of exclusion and inequality” (Joy of the Gospel, nos. 53-54) by working for structural changes that promote social, economic and racial justice.
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The appropriation of half of the world’s wealth by 1% of the global population creates inequalities that harm the poorest, the World Movement of Christian Workers says in a statement for 1 May.
The statement says:
Since 1890, May Day has been known as a day to demonstrate and demand workers’ rights. It is also a day to celebrate the gains and achievements of the working class. On this occasion, the World Movement of Christian Workers invites its members to join with other workers around the world to “always call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which this dignity and these rights are violated, and to help bring about changes that will ensure authentic progress for man and society” (Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Laborem Exercens). In 2025, the call is made through this message written by the Reunion Island Movement.
The dignity of eating the fruit of our labour
At a time when our world is facing significant geopolitical upheavals, the few beneficiaries of the capitalist mode of production will do everything to protect themselves. The lives and dignity of working-class men and women will continue to deteriorate as they are viewed as tools that can be discarded to save money.
In Réunion Island, after the Covid crisis, the government significantly increased the number of subsidised contracts (jobs partially funded by the State). At the same time, there was a development of micro-enterprises. As a result, in 2022, the unemployment rate (according to the ILO definition) in Réunion reached a historically “low” level of 18.1%… compared to 7.3% in mainland France! Despite these improvements, the unemployment rate remains very high in Réunion, with a frightening rate of 41.9% among young people aged 15 to 24 (source: insee.fr). Given the current economic situation and political orientations, the number of unemployed individuals will certainly increase again, as the wage bill is the preferred adjustment variable to balance public accounts.
The appropriation of half of the world’s wealth by 1% of the global population creates inequalities that harm the poorest. According to experts, this economic violence is no accident; it is the current functioning of our society.
This is evident in Réunion, where an international group, present in several sectors, holds 37% market share, representing 45% of everyday consumer spending (source: Observatoire des Prix, des Marges et des Revenus de La Réunion). In such a situation, how can we hope for a real decrease in inflation? Just look at the increase in the price of water bottles when a cyclone ravaged the island in March of this year.
Added to this are wage inequalities between men and women and salaries below the national average for an equivalent level of education. We then understand the young Réunionese who go abroad to study and do not wish to return to work in their homeland.
So why protest on May 1st, some ask? The small feel they will always remain small, their hopes for a better tomorrow diminish. Why go to the streets if we are not listened to? Is it worth it?
YES, we must, as active citizens, be present in the streets to show our disagreement with an economic system that harms workers. We must show solidarity with those whose end of the month is increasingly difficult.
Artificial intelligence, presented as a major technological evolution, serves a global economy that upends our lives at a dizzying speed.
Instead, let us develop our natural intelligence to put it in the service of workers’ dignity.
As Christians, as baptised individuals, we must support the defense of the smallest, those who suffer from injustices, inequalities, and discrimination. We must support the right to dignity and decent work for everyone, in love and solidarity… a true program for life.
May 1st is also the feast of Saint Joseph, the worker, craftsman, and a symbol of dignity according to the Pope. Let us pray to him so that every worker may find or rediscover “the value, dignity, and joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of their labour… And that we find paths that lead us to say: no young person, no individual, no family without work,” as Pope Francis said.
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Message from the WMCW on the occasion of the International Labour Day on May 1st, 2025 (WMCW)
“Social pastoral care is a fundamental dimension of the church’s mission, which seeks to make the Kingdom of God present amidst the difficulties and challenges of daily life,” said Bishop Dante Braida of La Rioja, president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral Care.
“This action promotes a church close to its citizens, concerned with the problems of its community and committed to justice and solidarity,” he said, according to Fides news service.
Bishop Braida stressed the importance of a social pastoral ministry that strengthens and promotes four key areas: “the social dimension of faith, so that every Christian can exercise their identity in the social commitments they assume; participation as a citizen, that is, as part of social life; the protection of the environment; and the way in which we deal with addictions, the meaning and care of life, and everything that damages it, such as drug trafficking.”
Bishop Braida, who concelebrated the Mass at the Catacombs organised by the Australian Cardijn Institute and Cardijn Community International during the first session of the Synod on Synodality in 2023, said he remained hopeful despite social challenges.
“There are many reasons to have hope,” he said, reiterating the Jubilee 2025 theme Pilgrims of Hope. “When a family is founded, opens itself to life, grows, and raises its children, that is a very strong sign of hope. When people launch new entrepreneurial initiatives to serve society; when children, adolescents, and young people want to study and develop professionally in sports, the arts, and science. Other signs of hope are when society cares for its elderly; a society that cultivates its faith, that gives space to God and wants to be guided by him, that is a sign of hope.”
In response to these challenges, the church in La Rioja implemented social pastoral initiatives based on the principles of Catholic social teaching. These include food distribution, community kitchens for vulnerable families, training workshops, micro-enterprises, and support programs for the homeless, drug addicts, and victims of violence.
As the church in La Rioja continues its social pastoral work, Bishop Braida connected these efforts with broader spiritual commitments, particularly during the Jubilee Year and the Synod on Synodality.
“We begin the season of Lent in the midst of a Jubilee Year and seeking to implement the conclusions of the Synod on Synodality in the church,” Bishop Braida stated.
“In this Lent, God asks us to check whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work, in parish or religious communities, we are capable of walking with others, of listening, of overcoming the temptation to close ourselves in our self-referentiality, taking care only of our needs.”
Bishop Braida also reminded the faithful of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of his predecessor, Blessed Enrique Angelelli and three other church leaders killed during Argentina’s military dictatorship. “It will be an opportunity to delve deeper into the testimony of their lives and the teachings of Bishop Enrique, in particular those that speak to us of the different aspects of the synodal church.”
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Mass at the Domitilla Catacombs
PHOTO
Bishop Dante Braida with Australian Cardijn Institute secretary, Stefan Gigacz
