When the Sickle Swings

Stories of Catholics Who Survived Communist Oppression

For over half of the twentieth century, across nearly half the globe, the Catholic Faith was repressed, restricted, or outright illegal. 

Since 1917, the atheistic, false messianic doctrine of communism found its expression in state powers, whose promises of “equality for all” routinely descended into totalitarianism, slavery, and slaughter.
The Catholic Church was a principal target of these regimes.

From secret Masses in the prisons of Cuba, to clandestine clergy in the catacombs of Bratislava, to showdowns with Soviet tanks on the streets of Brno, Catholics resisted communist persecution in every way they could. Like their ancestors before them, they risked it all for their Faith — imprisonment, torture, death — knowing that the preservation of the Faith, and their immortal souls, was the only worthwhile option — and their greatest victory.

In these pages, you will read about:

• Heroic priests and bishops martyred by their governments
• The resilience of political prisoners who refused to submit to “re-education”
• Freedom fighters who died proclaiming “Viva Cristo Rey!”
• The underground Church in Czechoslovakia, where bishops secretly ministered to the faithful and continued apostolic succession
• How Catholics’ peaceful, prayerful protests were instrumental in the downfall of communist governments 
• The daily “white martyrdom” experienced by Catholics who refused to join the Communist Party
• Why communism’s doctrine of worldly utopia is antithetical to the Faith
• The role Our Lady plays in defeating communism

Just as the Church is universal, Catholic resistance to tyranny is universal. These inspiring, modern-era stories, while geographically and materially disparate, demonstrate the same devotion and fortitude common to saint heroes of every age.