Bust of martyred priest Josef Toufar unveiled in his home town

A bronze bust of parish priest Josef Toufar, who was martyred by communist regime in the hardline 1950s, was unveiled in his home town Arnolc, in the Jihlava region on the 120th anniversary of his birth. A mass was celebrated in his memory at the local church. The commemorative ceremonies were attended by several hundred people.

Priest Josef Toufar was dragged away from the parish in Číhošt' in the Havlíčkobrod region, where he last served, by the communist secret police because of the so-called Číhošt' miracle. After brutal interrogations, he died on February 25, 1950. The Číhošt' miracle, in which witnesses said the cross on the altar in the church moved in December 1949, was never fully explained.