1. Maurice Tornay fought against anti-Catholic religious persecution in independent Tibet and was ambushed and murdered by Tibetan Buddhist monks of the Karma Kagyu sect from the Karma Gon Monastery while he travelled to Lhasa disguised as a pilgrim to appeal directly to the Dalai Lama for religious toleration to be granted to the Catholic Church in Tibet.
Maurice Tornay was beatified on 16 May 1993 after Pope John Paul II confirmed that the late priest had been killed "in odium fidei".
Maurice Tornay was born in Valais in Switzerland on 31 August 1910 as the seventh of eight children to Jean-Joseph Tornay and Faustina Dossier.
Maurice Tornay was baptized on 13 September 1910 and made his First Communion in 1917.
Maurice Tornay's childhood saw signs of disposition to a pious life and one based on doing the work of God.
In 1925 he commenced high school at Saint Maurice and was there until 1931.
Maurice Tornay wrote to a provost to request admittance to the Canons Regular and he was admitted into the novitiate on 25 August 1931.
Maurice Tornay had recovered enough to make his vows on 8 September 1935.
Maurice Tornay then received the task of teaching seminarians in Houa-Lo-Pa.
Maurice Tornay braved the dangers of the Tibetan Buddhist monks who were not fond of missionaries or of ethnic Tibetan Christians in general.
Maurice Tornay took up brief residence in Pame, China, and learned of the anti-religious situation back in his parish from parishioners who came in through Pame on business.
Maurice Tornay asked the Apostolic Nuncio to China Antonio Riberi for his assistance and the latter advised him to meet with the 14th Dalai Lama.
Maurice Tornay decided that he would travel to Lhasa to seek an audience with the latter to ask him for an edict of tolerance that would protect the regional Christians.