Lucien Croci
Who they were
Lucien Croci was born on 15 November 1919 at Aubervilliers, near Paris, and trained as a printer. A scout from 1929, he helped launch the Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne (JOC) at Vincennes in 1936 and became its regional leader for Paris in 1942. Sent to Germany for forced labour in 1943, he took charge of Catholic Action for south-west Berlin, an especially dangerous area under close police watch.
Arrested by the Gestapo at his factory on 26 August 1944, he told his interrogators he stood fully in solidarity with his fellow prisoners. He was deported to Sachsenhausen and then to Ravensbrück, where he died on 27 March 1945. Pope Leo XIV recognised his martyrdom, with a group of 50 martyrs, on 20 June 2025, and he was beatified in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, on 13 December 2025.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
French Catholic Action leader deported for resisting the Nazis; recognised as a martyr and beatified in Paris on 13 December 2025.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Santi, beati e testimoni (santiebeati.it) - Beato Luciano Croci
- Wikidata Q3265444 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.