Pope Leo XIV Honors 2 Spanish Nuns Murdered in Algeria in 1994

Apr 14, 2026 - 04:00
Pope Leo XIV Honors 2 Spanish Nuns Murdered in Algeria in 1994
Esther Paniagua Alonso (left) and Caridad Álvarez Martín, Augustinian nuns murdered in Algeria in 1994, beatified in 2018.

The Augustinian nuns were about to enter a Catholic chapel in Algiers when they were gunned down. Pope Leo previously visited their community in 2009 when he was prior of the Order of St. Augustine.