Marie Čiklová

Holy New Martyr Marie Čiklová was born on 13 October 1907 in Tuchów, Poland, in the family of Jan Klyš. Married to the priest Václav Čikl, she lived with him in Prague, in the Nusle district, where he was the pastor of the Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius. They had two daughters, Olga and Taťána.

From the start of the war her husband joined the resistance, sheltered the persecuted and, after the attack on Heydrich, cared for the seven paratroopers hidden in the crypt of the cathedral; Marie helped him in this work. After the hiding place was discovered on 18 June 1942, Father Václav was arrested and shot on 4 September. Marie was arrested too, sentenced to death in her absence on 29 September, taken from Terezín to Mauthausen and shot on 24 October 1942, together with 261 others. Her daughters were interned and lived to see liberation.

The Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia decided on 10 October 2019 to enter them among the saints, and the solemn glorification took place on 8 February 2020 at the Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague, together with the other new martyrs of those years. They are remembered on 5 September.