Dozens of people gathered in the Peruvian city of Pariacoto for a pilgrimage and special Mass to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the deaths of two Polish priests, who ministering in the region in the early 1990’s and were killed by a terrorist group

During the Mass Bishop Angel Francisco Simon Piorno of Chimbote called on those present to pray fervently for the beatification of Michael Tomaszek and Zbigniew Strzalkowski, members of the Conventual Franciscans, who were gunned down on August 9, 1991, by the Shining Path terrorist organization.

The two priests came to Pariacoto in 1990 as missionaries.  In 1995 the Congregation for the Causes of Saints authorized the opening of their cause for beatification as martyrs of the faith.