All Christians can take inspiration from martyrs, says De Margerie lecturer
Stories of Christian martyrs might inspire, instruct, and draw together otherwise divided Christians, says Bergen
The 2026 De Margerie Lectures on Christian Unity and Reconciliation were held on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at Campion College in Regina, and on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at St. Thomas More College (STM).
Both lectures were delivered in person and live-streamed.
The guest lecturer was Dr. Jeremy Bergen, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Theological Studies at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo.
He has researched and written on church apologies, martyrdom, ecclesiology, ecumenism, the Holy Spirit, and Mennonite theology. Bergen is also currently completing a book on Christian martyrdom and the unity of the church for Baylor University Press.
He is the author of Ecclesial Repentance: The Churches Confront their Sinful Pasts, and several articles on church apologies for residential schools in Canada. He is a member of the Faith & Life Commission of Mennonite World Conference and the co-editor of the Mennonite Quarterly Review.
The theme of Bergen’s talks was Martyrs and Christian Unity, with the first lecture focused on the topic of The Ecumenism of Blood: Solidarity in Trying Times, and the second lecture focused on the topic of Christians Killing Christians: Reconciling Violent Pasts and Conflicting Martyrdoms.
In choosing his topics, Bergen noted that when Pope Francis heard about the 21 Copts killed by ISIS in Libya, he said this: “It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts, or Protestants. They are Christians!... Their blood confesses Christ.”
He was tapping into a powerful intuition, according to Bergen.
“There is something in the stories of Christian martyrs — both those killed centuries ago and those killed much more recently — that might inspire, instruct, and draw together otherwise divided Christians.”
In the first lecture, Bergen examined the basic claim that a history of martyrdom serves as a resource for ecumenism. By exploring the stories and legacies of some particular martyrs, we can see how unity and solidarity might be expressed, but also some of the challenges and tensions.
In the second lecture, Bergen looked at one major barrier — the history of Christians killing Christians. During the Reformation, for example, the execution of fellow Christians was justified on theological grounds, and some of those killed are honoured as martyrs by some churches.
“How do we reckon with this history in ways that do justice to the past, and promote reconciliation and unity in the future,” Bergen asked.
Both lectures are available on the STM College YouTube channel (STM1936).
The De Margerie Lecture Series is named in honour of Fr. Bernard de Margerie, a priest of the Diocese of Saskatoon who dedicated his whole life in ministry to the promotion of Christian unity, and who was one of the founders of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism based in Saskatoon.
The series is sponsored by the Leslie and Irene Dubé Chair in Catholic Studies at St. Thomas More College, Campion College, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, Saskatoon Theological Union, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina, and Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.
Campion College: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05EuUd4XAqI
St. Thomas More College: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026
