In the presence of the Holy Father John Paul II, the Decree of Martyrdom was promulgated for five Redemptorists, four Ukrainians and one Czech on April 24, 2001.
The Czech, Blessed Methodius Dominic Trčka, was born on 6th of July 1886, in Frydlant nad Ostravici, in Moravia, now the Czech Republic. In 1902 he joined the Redemptorists and began his novitiate in 1903. He made his profession on August 25, 1904. Having completed his studies, he was ordained in Prague, July 17, 1910.
He spent his early years as a priest preaching parish missions. In 1919 he was sent to work among the Greek Catholics in the area of Halic, in Galizia, and then in Slovakia in the Eparchy of Prešov, where he carried on intense missionary activity. In March 1935 he was appointed by the Congregation for Oriental Churches as an apostolic visitor of the Basilian monks in Prešov and in Uzhorod. When the vice-province of Michalovce was founded, Fr. Trčka was appointed vice-provincial on March 23, 1946. He began to work zealously to found new houses and to form young Redemptorists.
During the night of April 13, 1950, the Czech government suppressed all the religious communities. After a summary trial, Fr. Trčka was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment, during which he was subjected to lengthy interrogations and torture. In 1958 he was transferred to the prison of Leopoldov. He was suffering from pneumonia contracted during solitary confinement, which was imposed on him for singing a Christmas hymn. He died on March 23, 1959.
He was interred in the prison cemetery, but after the liberation of the Greek-Catholic Church, his remains were transferred to the Redemptorist plot in the cemetery of Michalovce on October 17, 1969. Pope John Paul II proclaimed him to be Blessed Methodius Dominick on November 4, 2001.
Prayer in honour of Blessed Methodius Dominic Trcka
Lord our God, you gave to Blessed Methodius your priest and martyr outstanding bravery in the face of trials and torture. Through his intercession, may we remain faithful to the Gospel of truth. We make this prayer through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.
