Podlachian martyrs
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The Podlachian martyrs (Polish: męczennicy podlascy) were a group of 13 Greek Catholic (Uniate) believers killed by the Russian Army on January 24, 1874 in the village of Pratulin near Biała Podlaska. Following the secularization and delegalization of the Eparchy of Kholm (Uniate diocese of Chełm), the Russian authorities forcibly subdued all Uniates and their churches to the Russian Orthodox Church. In a protest against the Russification and confiscation of the church, the Uniate community gathered in front of the shrine, but were fired upon by the Russian forces. In modern times, the local church is devoted to the 13 people killed there.
The massacre in Pratulin was the best documented among many such events that took place region of Podlachia and thus was chosen by the Latin Rite dioceses of Siedlce to present the case for their beatification in 1938 to represent the martyrs who gave their life for faith and Christian unity during those times. They were beatified by the Holy Father Servant of God John Paul the Great 6 October 1996. In 1998 some of their relics have were transferred to the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite church in nearby Kostomłoty, where the Shrine of the Martyrs of Podlachia was established.
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