12 Facts About Jacques Hamel

On 26 July 2016, Hamel was murdered during the 2016 Normandy church attack by two Muslim men pledging allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant while Hamel celebrated Mass in his church.

Jacques Hamel was born on 30 November 1930 in Darnetal, France.

Jacques Hamel served in the military for 18 months in Algeria.

Jacques Hamel did not wish to be an officer as he did not want to issue orders to other men to kill.

Jacques Hamel served as an assistant priest at the St Antoine church in Le Petit-Quevilly from 1958, an assistant priest at the Notre-Dame de Lourdes church in Sotteville-les-Rouen from 1967, a parish priest in Saint-Pierre-les-Elbeuf from 1975, and a parish priest in Cleon from 1988.

Jacques Hamel officially retired in 2005 at the age of 75, but continued serving as the parish's assistant priest.

Jacques Hamel died when his throat was slit by two Muslim men, Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean, both aged nineteen, who both pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

The attack occurred while Jacques Hamel was saying Mass in his parish in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray on 26 July 2016.

Jacques Hamel's legacy was celebrated by French singer-songwriter Vianney Bureau in his song "L'homme et l'ame" which was dedicated to Pere Hamel as well as victims of terror attacks throughout France.

Jacques Hamel was called a martyr by some international press shortly after his death.

On 14 September 2016, Pope Francis referred to Jacques Hamel as "blessed", a title used prior to canonization.

Archbishop Lebrun said the Pope himself allowed a photo of Jacques Hamel to be put in a church, and called him blessed.