Three New Venerables: Missionaries in Ecuador and an Indian Bishop

On May 22, Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of various decrees for three Servants of God: Colombian Sister Agnese Arango Velásquez, Indian Bishop Matthew Makil, and Spanish Bishop Alessandro Labaka Ugarte. These individuals, recognized for their lives of faith and service, have been declared Venerables by the Vatican.

The three new Venerables are described as a woman and two men of peace, whose lives were marked by a deep commitment to their faith and a dedication to helping the most vulnerable. Two of them were martyred for their beliefs, having faced violent death while defending the rights of Indigenous peoples in Ecuador.

A Bishop with a Missionary Soul

Alessandro Labaka Ugarte, born in 1920 in Beizama, northern Spain, felt a calling to missionary work from a young age. After being ordained a priest in 1945, he joined the Capuchin Order in 1937 under the name Brother Manuel. He was sent to China, where he served for about a decade before being expelled by the Maoist regime. He then moved to Ecuador, where he became a parish priest and held various roles, including that of apostolic prefect, actively working to evangelize the Huaorani people.

In 1984, Brother Manuel was consecrated a bishop and continued his mission among the Indigenous, also establishing contact with the Tagaeri ethnic group. This was a time of intense tension as oil companies encroached on the region, clearing forests in search of resources. For Bishop Ugarte, the priority became protecting the rights of the Tagaeri. It was during this mission that he met Sister Inés.

A Religious Sister Among the Indigenous

Sister Inés Arango Velásquez, born in Medellín, Colombia, in 1937, joined the Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family in 1955. She completed her formation there and dedicated herself to teaching and, after moving to Ecuador, became a superior. She devoted herself to evangelizing the Huaorani under the guidance of Brother Manuel. Sister Inés also became deeply aware of the dire situation facing the Tagaeri, who had become targets for oil and logging companies.

Killed in Defense of the Least

As bishop, Bishop Ugarte sought to avoid a violent confrontation with mercenaries from these companies by personally initiating dialogue with the Indigenous people. He was joined by Sister Inés, and both — fully aware of the risks involved in approaching a tribe known to be hostile to outsiders — were flown by helicopter on the morning of July 21, 1987, to a designated meeting point. The next day, another helicopter arrived to pick them up, but instead found their bodies — pierced with spears and arrows.

For both of them, it was a conscious offering of their lives in fidelity to their mission, as also reflected in the letter Sister Inés had written the day before their departure, which read almost like a last testament. Their deaths left a powerful impact and have contributed to an enduring reputation for holiness that continues to this day.

Bishop and Peacemaker in India

The story of the third Venerable is that of the Indian Matthew Makil, bishop and founder of the Sisters of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Born in 1851 in Manjoor to a well-off Christian family, he became a priest in 1865 and served in parish ministry until he was appointed Vicar General of Kottayam in 1889.

Three years later, he founded a religious congregation whose primary mission was the education of girls. His pastoral ministry was vibrant and dynamic, eventually leading to his appointment as Apostolic Vicar of Changanacherry in 1896. He actively promoted catechetical formation, school education, the creation of religious organizations and associations, and the fight against poverty, which afflicted much of society at the time. He also encouraged vocations to consecrated life.

Moreover, he did not allow himself to be discouraged by local conflicts, which at times flared up violently, between the “northerners” (who considered themselves descendants of the community founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle) and the “southerners” (who saw themselves as successors of Mesopotamian migrants). Bishop Matthew Makil was guided by his episcopal motto: “God is my hope.”

With his calm and conciliatory manner, he worked tirelessly to bring peace between these two rival communities. His efforts culminated in a proposal submitted to the Holy See in 1911 to divide the Vicariate of Changanacherry into two distinct vicariates: one for the “southerners” and one for the “northerners.” Pope Pius X accepted the proposal and created the Vicariate of Kottayam for the “southerners,” entrusting its leadership to Bishop Makil, the architect of the initiative.

Bishop Matthew Makil dedicated himself fully to this mission until his death in January 1914, following a brief illness.