This year, 2026, the Church of La Rioja commemorates the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Enrique Angelelli, Carlos de Dios Murias, Gabriel Longueville, and Wenceslao Pedernera, four witnesses of the faith murdered in 1976 during the Argentine military dictatorship, Vatican News reports.
The diocese has declared this year a Diocesan Jubilee Year, under the motto “Easter in La Rioja, joy of the people,” as a time of grateful remembrance, prayer, pilgrimage, and renewal of Christian commitment.
In this context, Bishop Dante Braida of La Rioja shared a reflection on the meaning of this commemoration and on the legacy that the martyrs continue to offer to the Church and society.
He affirmed that, just as that era needed men and women capable of giving their lives for the Gospel, the present time also requires new witnesses of the faith, committed to reality and capable of overcoming the temptation of individualism to promote more open and inclusive community paths, especially alongside those who feel hopeless in life and need to experience God’s mercy through simple and empathetic bonds.
Four testimonies of holiness
In his reflection, Bishop Braida highlighted the virtues of holiness that characterised the martyrs of La Rioja and that continue to illuminate Christian life in the face of the challenges of the present.
In recalling the figure of the martyr Bishop Enrique Angelelli, he pointed out that his testimony invites us to live a faith embodied in the concrete history we face and that continues to illuminate the current Christian commitment.
Regarding priests Carlos de Dios Murias and Gabriel Longueville, he emphasised that they lived the Gospel in their daily lives, in the simplicity of each day and in service to others. At the same time, he underscored that they assumed a prophetic voice when it was necessary to denounce abuses and threats that violated human dignity.
He devoted special attention to the witness of Blessed Martyr Wenceslao Pedernera, whose holiness, he explained, was expressed through his family life, social commitment, and pursuit of justice. He noted that Pedernera worked tirelessly for a more just world, building Christian marriage and families, fulfilling his social responsibilities, and, in particular, promoting productive initiatives that valued the work and dignity of workers.
Bishop Dante emphasised that, at the end of his life, this pursuit of justice transformed into a profound gesture of mercy toward those who did not understand his commitment and ended his life. His last words, “Forgive, forgive, and do not hate,” Braida affirmed, constitute a testament to a mature faith that finds in forgiveness the highest expression of the Gospel.
A living memory that calls us to renew our commitment to the Gospel
At the heart of his reflection on the lives of the martyrs, Bishop Dante emphasised the importance of giving one’s life in following Jesus Christ, finding in Him the profound meaning of existence and true happiness, even amidst difficulties and persecutions.
“The four martyrs have different vocations, and each one, from his own path, teaches us to give ourselves totally to others; in this way, the memory we celebrate today will be sincere,” said Bishop Braida.
Bishop Dante invited everyone to embrace the testimony of the martyrs as a call to live daily self-giving, in the simplicity of each day, accepting the different circumstances of life in the light of the Gospel and seeking from there the transformation of reality.
He also noted that their lives are a testament to how to live the Gospel and love God and neighbor with all their strength, committing themselves to liberation from everything that enslaves human beings and accompanying them towards a full life as a member of a community and in community.
Finally, he highlighted the fact that the martyrs of La Rioja worked for peace as a fruit of justice and that they were persecuted precisely for faithfully living out their individual missions. Therefore, he affirmed that “walking together with a missionary spirit” implies working for the transformation of the world, bringing the Good News to individuals, families, and all sectors of society, becoming “channels of liberation from all that binds us and limits our growth.”
SOURCE
Año Jubilar de los Mártires riojanos: memoria y compromiso con el Evangelio (Vatican News)