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Fr Gisley was only 31 years old

Thirty seven missionaries were killed around the world in 2009, the highest number in the last decade and nearly double the previous year. Of those who lost their lives, there were 30 priests, two religious sisters, two seminarians and three lay volunteers.

The Americas had the highest number of deaths with a total of 23 pastoral workers killed. This included 18 priests, two seminarians, one religious sister and three lay volunteers.

Six priests were killed in Brazil alone. This number was so alarmingly high that the Bishops’ Conference issued a statement of its concern for the rising violence against the priests in the country.

One of those priests was Father Gisley Azevedo Gomes, CSS, who was just 31 years old.  He was killed in June 2009.

He had suffered a shot to the face and two to the head. Police arrested several young people, guilty of the crime, who had gotten into his car, first robbing him and then killing him.

Originally from Morrinhos, Fr. Gisley had entered the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ and was ordained a priest on May 2005. He had been the leader of the National Youth Section of the CNBB (Bishop’s Conference of Brazil) for just two years. Very dedicated to working with young people, he joined the Youth Ministry of Brazil in organising the National Campaign on the theme "Youth in the march against violence."
 "In a regrettable way he was the victim of violence that wanted to fight against."

Missionaries, like Father Gomes are not concerned with the dangers that they might face, instead they work with the people for their wellbeing.

“Missionaries all over the world are incredible people, who often risk their own lives for the sake of others. They are certainly a sign of God and love in our world” said Deputy National Director of Catholic Mission, Peter Gates.

“Please spare a thought and a prayer for all missionaries around the world, and particularly for those who have been killed this past year.”

LIST OF MISSIONARIES KILLED IN 2009

	Name	Country of Origin	Institute	Place and Date of Death
1.	Fr. Giuseppe Bertaina	Italy	Consolata Missionary (IMC)	Nairobi (Kenya) – Jan. 16
2.	Fr. Eduardo de la Fuente Serrano	Spain	Diocesan	Havana (Cuba) – Feb. 14
3.	Fr. Juan Gonzalo Aristizabal Isaza	Colombia	Diocesan	Medellin (Colombia) – Feb. 22
4.	Fr. Daniel Matsela Mahula	South Africa	Diocesan	Bloemhof (South Africa) – Feb. 27
5.	Fr. Lionel Sham	South Africa	Diocesan	Mohlakeng (South Africa) – March 7
6.	Fr. Révocat Gahimbare	Burundi	Diocesan	Karuzi (Burundi) – March 8
7.	Fr. Gabriel Fernando Montoya Tamayo	Colombia	Redemptorists	Vichada (Colombia) – March 16
8.	Fr. Jesús Ariel Jiménez	Colombia	Redemptorists	Vichada (Colombia) – March 16
9.	Fr. Ramiro Ludeña	Spain	Diocesan	Recife (Brazil) – March 20
10	Fr. Lorenzo Rosebaugh	United States	Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)	Alta Verapaz (Guatemala) – May 18
11	Fr. Ernst Plöchl	Austria	Mariannhill Missionaries	Maria Zella (South Africa) – May 31
12	Jorge Humberto Echeverri Garro	Colombia	Lay pastoral worker	Panama di Arauca (Colombia) – June 11
13	Fr. Habacuc Hernández Benítez	Mexico	Diocesan	Tierra Caliente (Mexico) – June 13
14	Eduardo Oregón Benítez	Mexico	Seminarian	Tierra Caliente (Mexico) – June 13
15	Silvestre González Cambrón	Mexico	Seminarian	Tierra Caliente (Mexico) – June 13
16	Fr. Gisley Azevedo Gomes	Brazil	Stigmatines CSS	Brazlândia (Brazil) – June 15
17	Fr. Mariano Arroyo Merino	Spain	Diocesan/OCSHA	Havana (Cuba) – July 13
18	Ricky Agusa Sukaka	D.R. Congo	Caritas Worker	Musezero (D.R. Congo) – July 15
19	Fr. James Mukalel	India	Diocesan	Mangalore (India) – July 30
20	Fr. Leopoldo Cruz	El Salvador	Redemptorists	San Salvador (El Salvador) – August 24
21	Fr. Cecilio Lucero	Philippines	Diocesan	Nord Samar (Philippines) – September 6
22	Fr. Ruggero Ruvoletto	Italy	Fidei donum	Manaus (Brazil) – September 19
23	Fr. Evaldo Martiol	Brazil	Diocesan	Santa Caterina (Brazil) – September 26
24	Fr. Oscar Danilo Cardozo Ossa	Colombia	Diocesan	Villavicencio (Colombia) – September 27
25	William Quijano	El Salvador	Lay, Community of St. Egidio	San Salvador (El Salvador) – September 28
26	Fr. Ed Hinds	United States	Diocesan	Chatham (N.J.- USA) – October 24
27	Fr. Louis Jousseaume	France	Diocesan	Egletons (France) – October 26
28	Sister Marguerite Bartz	United States	Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS)	Saint Berard, New Mexico, USA – November 1
29	Fr. Hidalberto Henrique Guimaraes	Brazil	Diocesan	Maceió (AL), Brazil – November 7
30	Fr. Miguel Angel Hernandez	Guatemala	OFM Capuchin	Esquipulas (Honduras) -  November 8
31	Fr. Jean Gaston Buli	D.R. Congo	Diocesan	Bunia (D.R. Congo) – November 10
32	Fr. Daniel Cizimya Nakamaga	D.R. Congo	Diocesan	Bukavu (D.R. Congo) – December 6
33	Fr. Louis Blondel	France	Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers)	Pretoria (South Africa) – December 7
34	Sister Denise Kahambu Muhahyirwa	D.R. Congo	Trappist Nun	Bukavu (D.R. Congo) – December 7
35	Fr. Jeremiah Roche	Ireland	Society of St. Patrick for the Foreign Missions	Nairobi (Kenya) – December 11
36	Fr. Alvino Broering	Brazil	Diocesan	Santa Catarina (Brazil) – December 14
37	Fr. Jaramillo Cárdenas	Colombia	Diocesan	Santa Rosa de Osos (Colombia) – December 20