As the tenth anniversary of the brutal murder of Fr. Jacques Hamel by Islamic State sympathizers while he was celebrating Holy Mass in a church in France approaches, his sister Roselyne Hamel has given a profound testimony of Christian forgiveness. Her act of embracing the mother of her brother’s killer has drawn widespread attention.

During a recent event in Rome, held as part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, Roselyne revealed this lesser-known story. In her message delivered at the Church of St. Louis in Rome, she emphasized that even in a world falling apart, where many succumb to evil for their own convenience, there are still men and women of faith who bear witness to goodness and love.

Fr. Hamel had begun engaging in interfaith dialogue with the Muslim community six years before his murder. "We are all human, we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Father," Roselyne recalled, reflecting on her brother’s life, which remained devoted to Christ until the very end.

A few weeks after her brother's murder, Roselyne had to undergo surgery due to severe distress. During this time, she felt a deep desire to find the mother of Adel Kermiche, the 19-year-old Islamic State sympathizer who had killed Fr. Hamel. Their first conversation happened over the phone, followed by an in-person meeting. The Archbishop of Rouen, Dominique Lebrun, was also present.

The moment Roselyne met Kermiche’s mother, the grieving woman broke into tears and said, **"Forgive me."** Roselyne replied, **"I have not come to grant forgiveness, but to share our pain together."** They then embraced each other and wept.

"This bond I share with Kermiche’s mother is now very strong. We try to support each other because we are both victims of terrorism. It is something that helps us move forward," Roselyne said. She also emphasized that people committed to peace still exist.

On July 26, 2016, while celebrating Holy Mass at the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy, 85-year-old Fr. Jacques Hamel was brutally murdered by two young Islamic State sympathizers, Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean, who slit his throat while shouting "Allahu Akbar."

Fr. Hamel has since been recognized as a martyr in Rome. Pope Francis had granted special permission to advance his beatification process, waiving the usual five-year waiting period after death.