Servant of God Jacques Hamel (1930-2016)

July 1, 2026

By Columbia staff

July 1, 2026

Servant of God Jacques Hamel (Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Rouen)

A decade ago, when he arrived to celebrate morning Mass at St. Étienne Church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France, Father Jacques Hamel had no idea his own life would be sacrificed at the altar.

Jacques Hamel was born in Darnétal, in northern France, the firstborn child of a railroad worker and a mother who was a weaver. Young Jacques was an altar server and would often play Mass.

He entered seminary as a teenager, but his studies were paused in 1952, when he began four years of military service, including 18 months in Algeria. There, he was the lone survivor of an ambush that killed several fellow soldiers; he always wondered why he had been spared.

After returning to France and completing seminary studies, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Rouen in 1958. Father Hamel would faithfully serve its parishes for nearly 60 years.

Father Hamel gained a reputation as a gentle and compassionate priest, with a particular love for the Eucharist. “When he celebrated Mass,” his sister Roseline said, “he seemed to be transformed by his faith.” In a 2002 homily, Father Hamel said, “Only through the Eucharist is it possible to truly live the Gospel.”

Instead of retiring at age 75, Father Hamel chose to remain in active ministry out of love for his vocation, frequently assisting at St. Étienne Church.

As he celebrated Mass on July 26, 2016, two Islamic State militants stormed the church and took the small congregation hostage. The priest attempted to resist while crying out, “Get away, Satan!” But they forced him to kneel before the altar and slit his throat.

His cause for canonization opened April 13, 2017, after Pope Francis waived the usual five-year waiting period.