Uncovering ‘Hidden Holocaust’
The 2018 Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony will include a French priest working to uncover the “Hidden Holocaust” as guest speaker.
Religion Editor chinton@oklahoman.com
While much has been documented about the slaughter of Jews in Nazi concentration camps and death camps in countries like Germany, France and Poland, a French priest has worked for more than a decade to shed light on the “hidden Holocaust” in other places.
The Rev. Patrick Desbois, a Catholic priest and Vatican consultant, is a sleuth of sorts who has uncovered the circumstances and sites where 1.5 million Jews were executed in Eastern Europe in places like the Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and Lithuania.
The humanitarian will discuss his mission at the 2018 Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony set for 2 to 3:30 p.m. April 8 at Bishop McGuinness High School, 801 NW 50. The event, entitled “The Hidden Holocaust featuring Father Patrick Desbois,” is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City and community partners.
Desbois is founder and president of Yahad-In Unum, an international organization that works to raise awareness of the sites of Jewish and Roma mass executions by Nazis in Eastern Europe during World War II.
The priest founded Yahad-In Unum in 2004, and he has interviewed more than 4,000 eyewitnesses of the Nazi execution of Jews and Romas and has identified more than 1,500 execution sites in Eastern Europe.
Yahad — in Unum combines the Hebrew word Yahad, meaning “together,” with the Latin phrase In Unum, meaning “in one.”
“The work that Father Desbois does is so remarkable by helping remember those who were killed in the Holocaust and those who are still in unmarked graves,” said Roberta Clark, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City.
“We knew it would be such an honor to bring him to Oklahoma City. The work he has done is remarkable.”
Clark said Desbois’ presentation is being made possible through a partnership between the federation and a host of sponsors and underwriters.
She said the federation was particularly grateful for the Catholic organizations that have helped make Desbois’ visit a reality,including the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Bishop McGuinness High School.
The Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, said the archdiocese was happy to partner to bring Desbois to the metro area.
“Keeping alive the remembrance of the Holocaust is under-appreciated in the Catholic Church, and so much of Father Desbois’ ministry is keeping alive the memory of those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis, especially the Jews and the Romas,” Coakley said.
Coakley said the remembrance ceremony featuring the French priest is a good example of the type of collaboration that leaders of the Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council had in mind when they made a commitment to strengthen and heal relations between the Church and people of Jewish faith. He said at the same time, Vatican II leaders hoped to highlight the Judeo aspect of the Christian faith.
He said he was confident that the ceremony will draw many people from the Catholic faith community, but he also is hoping that the community-atlarge will be participate, as well because the event has meaning for everyone.
Clark said the program is free and open to adults and students of middle school and high school age. She said people interested in attending the event are required to preregister.