Church lost 26 pastoral care workers in 2011

(December 30, 2011) Twenty-six pastoral care workers of the Catholic Church have been confirmed killed around the world during the course of 2011 so far, a Church news agency has said. In a yearend tally of all the pastoral workers who lost their lives in the course of the last 12 months, the Vatican-based Fides agency said the 26 include 18 priest, 4 nuns and 4 lay people. Last year there were 25. For the third consecutive year, the place most affected, with an extremely elevated number of pastoral workers killed is America, with 13 priests and 2 lay persons. Africa came next with 6 pastoral workers that include 2 priests, 3 sisters and a lay person. The least affected was Europe, with one priest killed. In Asia four lost their lives, three alone in India. Fr. G. Amalan a priest of Palayamkottai diocese in southern India’s Tamil Nadu diocese was killed on February 16 by a man who robbed him. Valsa John, a Sister of Charity of Jesus and Mary order, who was working as a missionary among the poor exploited tribals in Jharkhand state of India, was brutally stabbed to death on Nov. 15. A week before Christmas, lay catechist and activist Rabindra Parichha was kidnapped and killed in neighbouring Orissa state. The other non-Indian killed in Asia is Italian PIME missionary in the Philippines, Fr. Faustus Tentorio. The 59-year-old priest, a staunch anti-mining advocate was gunned down on Oct. 17 in Cotabato province.