Martyrs of the Eucharist

Susan Ciancio reviews the new book by Reverend J. Francis Sofie, OP, and explains its relevance to all Catholics today.

Martyrs of the Eucharist: Stories to Inspire Eucharistic Amazement

by Reverend J. Francis Sofie, OP

Publisher: TAN Books

The subtitle of this book, Stories to Inspire Eucharistic Amazement, speaks to exactly the type of story the reader will find within the pages. 

Jesus is truly present—Body, Blood, soul, and divinity—in the Eucharist. In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus tells His disciples, “I am the bread of life.” He doesn’t just say this once; He repeatedly drives this lesson home. He wants the people to understand that when He says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever,” He truly means it.  

And when people walked away because this teaching was too hard, He didn’t call them back and say that He was speaking metaphorically. He let them walk away.  

Fast-forward two thousand years, and we see so many Catholics walking away from Christ in the Eucharist. Indeed, we see Catholics who do not even believe in the True Presence.  

It is to them and to anyone who wants to be inspired by stories of Catholic heroism, faith, and courage that this book is devoted. 

Throughout 29 easy-to-read chapters, readers will learn about Catholics who gave their lives or risked their lives for Jesus in the Eucharist. Readers will become acquainted with many courageous men and women—some familiar and some they have likely never heard of. 

Stories of courageous men and women who died for their faith

Of course there are the stories of Saints Tarcisius and Oscar Romero, who gave their lives to protect Christ in the Eucharist, but there are also stories of people like Saint Nicholas Owen, who built “priest holes,” or hiding places, into English houses during a time when being a Catholic priest was punishable by death. And there is the story of Saint Margaret Clitherow, a convert whose greatest heartbreak was that her husband was not open to the Catholic faith. She not only served time in jail for her faith, but she had hiding places built in her house for priests and for the Eucharist.  

Both Nicholas and Margaret were put to death for their faith. 

While I have always loved the stories of Nicholas Owen and the hiding of priests, as it seems like something worthy of a good spy novel, one of my favorite stories in this book is of a young man named Manuel, who at the age of 15 had just heard that his priest recommended him for the seminary.  

The year was 1700, and Manuel lived near Jacksonville, Florida. He was thrilled at this news, as it meant he was set to become the first indigenous Franciscan priest in the New World. But then one day, his village was attacked by both the Creeks and the British. As was their standard practice, they attacked the church first and set it on fire. When Manuel saw this, he ran inside and desperately tried to put out the fire and save the Eucharist. But the attackers grabbed him, mocked him, and then tortured and drowned him. His is a story of true bravery. 

Lest you think that martyrdom for our faith is something that happened decades or even centuries ago, Fr. Sofie reminds us of the martyrs in Iraq who were killed simply because they were attending Mass. In 2010, gunmen spewing hatred for Catholicism opened fire in a Catholic church, killing 58 men, women, and children and wounding nearly 80 more.  

The captivating stories within this book, and the reflection included at the end of each chapter, will not only inspire you, they will help you understand that Christ truly is present in the Eucharist and that we should protect Him. 

We must protect Christ with our words and actions

Thankfully, most of us will not have to protect Him with our lives, but we must protect Him with our words and our actions. That means that we receive Him reverently and free of mortal sin. We teach our children about the Real Presence. And we fill our homes and hearts with stories of people who serve as courageous examples of how to do this.  

Martyrs of the Eucharist is best read one chapter at a sitting, with ample time to reflect on the lives of each person discussed therein. It is truly a beautiful book that will indeed inspire Eucharistic amazement and that will help us grow in love for Christ in the Eucharist.  

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Copyright 2024 Susan Ciancio
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