Jacques Hamel

Jacques Hamel was a French Catholic priest who served in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. Born on November 30, 1930, in Darnétal, France, he spent most of his working life in north-west France, including more than 30 years at St-Étienne. He was ordained as a priest on June 30, 1958. Hamel officially retired in 2005 at the age of 75 but continued serving as the parish's assistant priest. He worked on an interfaith committee with local imam Mohammed Karabila. On July 26, 2016, during the 2016 Normandy church attack, Hamel was murdered by two Muslim men pledging allegiance to the Islamic State while he celebrated Mass in his church. His death has led him to be called a martyr by Christians and non-Christians alike. Pope Francis waived the otherwise mandatory five-year waiting period for the opening of his canonization cause. The canonization process was officially opened at diocesan level in April 2017.