God is dead!

A story from an Albanian childhood:

Niktoline was nine, before the Churches were closed he had served daily Mass for the village priest, until the priest had told him not to come anymore, he didn't care about the danger to himself, it was only when the priest told him he was endangering his parents that he finally, but then only reluctantly stopped coming to Mass.

His teacher called him out in front of the class, she asked the boy if he believed in God. “Yes, I believe”, he said calmly. She became apoplectic with fury, she hammered her desk and shouted over and over again, “God is dead! GOD IS DEAD!”, until she was almost unable to shout.
On his way to home that day Niktoline’s classmates taunted him, repeating the teachers, “God is dead” chant. Finally he could bear it no longer, he turned to his persecutors, presumably he prayed for God's help, then he shouted, “God is not dead, he is alive”. Immediately his persecutors fell silent and ran away.

Niktoline is now a priest, in his journey to the priesthood he spent four years in an Albanian labour camp because of his faith.

The diocese o Shkodra will soon be launching a website of the stories of 40 of those executed between 1947 and 1989 for the faith, as part of their preparations for the Beatification of the Martyrs of Albania later this year or next year.

Even if you don't know their names or stories ask their intercession. So great was their suffering, Christ will not refuse their intercession on our behalf.

Niktoline had the courage to stand up for Christ because of the example of the priest whose daily Mass he served, he is one of these Holy Martyrs.