France commemorates Father Jacques Hamel 10 years after his murder, honoring his legacy of faith, reconciliation, resilience and unity.
Newsroom (28/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) France’s political leaders, Catholic bishops, parishioners and members of Father Jacques Hamel‘s family gathered on July 26 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the priest’s murder by two Islamist terrorists during Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.
Father Hamel, who was 85 years old, was killed on July 26, 2016, while celebrating Mass in the Normandy parish. A decade later, a memorial service brought together some of the country’s most prominent figures to honor his memory and reflect on the enduring themes of faith, resilience and national unity that emerged from the tragedy.
At the center of the commemoration was a powerful symbol: Father Hamel‘s stole draped on a cross inside the church where he was killed. Addressing the faithful, Archbishop Dominique Lebrun of Rouen acknowledged the emotional significance of the gesture.
“You would have preferred that it is not here,” the archbishop said, according to Le Monde. Visibly moved, he explained the importance of placing the stole on the cross, saying that there, in Jesus, “the worst violence and victorious love for all are united.”
Among those attending the Mass were Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and former President François Hollande, who was serving as France’s head of state when the attack occurred. Also present were Roseline Hamel, the priest’s 86-year-old sister, and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, president of the French bishops’ conference.
Before the liturgy, participants retraced the route Father Hamel walked from his rectory to what would become his final Mass, a solemn act of remembrance that connected the present-day commemoration with the events of a decade earlier.
Macron: “We Will Not Forget Father Jacques Hamel”
President Emmanuel Macron marked the anniversary with a message on X, pledging that the nation would continue to remember the slain priest.
“We will not forget Father Jacques Hamel,” Macron wrote.
The president described the murder as a cowardly act carried out by two Islamist terrorists who targeted the priest because he represented values opposed to hatred.
“Ten years ago today, he was cowardly murdered by two Islamist terrorists, targeted because he embodied the rejection of hatred, fraternity, and hope,” Macron said.
Extending his condolences and support to Father Hamel’s family, parishioners and the broader Catholic community, Macron emphasized that the priest’s memory carries an ongoing responsibility for the nation.
“His memory compels us,” the president wrote. “It compels us to relentlessly defend the freedom of conscience that the Republic guarantees and protects.”
Macron also reaffirmed France’s determination in the face of Islamist terrorism, insisting that the country remains united and committed to its founding principles.
Remembering the Violence of 2016
The 2016 attack shocked France and the wider Catholic world. After slitting Father Hamel’s throat, the attackers, Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malik Petitjean, took worshippers hostage inside the church. One of the hostages, Guy Coponet, suffered serious injuries during the assault.
As the attackers attempted to leave the church, they were shot and killed by police.
For the anniversary, Coponet reflected on the events in a video produced by the French National Police. He expressed gratitude to the officers who intervened that day and credited them with saving his life.
“Everyone involved went beyond what was expected of them … if I’m here with you today, it’s thanks to you,” Coponet said.
A Lasting Message of Unity
In a video recorded for the anniversary, Hollande reflected on the broader significance of the attack and the response that followed.
He noted that the terrorists sought not only to kill but also to provoke division and animosity within French society.
“The risk when such a tragedy occurs in a church is that — and this was indeed the intention of the Islamist terrorists who were sent there — it could lead to division, confrontation and revenge,” Hollande said.
According to the former president, France’s response demonstrated the importance of solidarity across religious and social lines.
“It was absolutely essential to show that we stood together, that we were united, beyond religions, beyond sensitivities, to stand together and face this together,” he said.
Hollande argued that this commitment to unity remains just as important today, warning against forces that encourage separation and confrontation.
“There are forces that want to move towards division. We want to move towards unity,” he said. “And that is the meaning of this commemoration, to remember.”
Roseline Hamel’s Extraordinary Journey of Reconciliation
Perhaps no one has embodied the spirit of reconciliation more profoundly than Roseline Hamel.
In the years following her brother’s murder, she made the extraordinary decision not only to forgive the perpetrators but also to develop a friendship with Nassera, the mother of one of the attackers, Adel Kermiche.
The two women later collaborated on a 2025 book titled Sisters in Sorrow, chronicling their shared grief and their decision to seek understanding rather than hostility.
For Roseline Hamel, the friendship emerged from a deeply human desire to share suffering with someone who could understand it.
“What led me to seek out Nassera was my desire to meet someone with whom I could share my suffering, which seemed insurmountable to me,” she told OSV News.
Reflecting on the pain endured by the attacker’s mother, she said she believed Nassera may have suffered even more deeply and could comprehend her grief in a unique way.
Their relationship gradually evolved through years of conversation, trust and mutual support. Roseline Hamel even visited the grave of Adel Kermiche, where she said she wished to convey a message of forgiveness from her brother.
“After that, little by little, year after year, we tried together to forge a path of resilience and to begin to heal the still-fragile wound left by that tragic day,” she said.
Today, she describes the friendship as both a sign of hope and a source of comfort, offering a rare example of reconciliation born from profound loss.
A Decade Later, a Legacy Endures
Ten years after Father Jacques Hamel’s murder, commemorations in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray focused not only on the violence that ended his life but also on the values that have come to define his legacy.
From national leaders’ calls for solidarity to Roseline Hamel’s remarkable witness of forgiveness, the anniversary highlighted a collective determination to reject division and uphold unity.
As France remembered the priest who died while celebrating Mass, the message repeated throughout the commemoration was clear: remembrance is not only about honoring the past, but also about preserving the principles of fraternity, resilience and hope that emerged in its aftermath.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
