Text from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111830952/casimir-michael-cypher
Fr Casimir Michael Cypher
BIRTH 12 Jan 1941
Medford, Taylor County, Wisconsin, USA
DEATH 25 Jun 1975 (aged 34)
Olancho, Honduras
BURIAL
San Esteban Parish Church
Municipio de San Esteban, Olancho, Honduras
MEMORIAL ID 111830952
Fr. Casimir (Michael) Cypher was born on January 12, 1941, in Medford, WI, the 10th of 12 children, where he grew up on the family farm. His parents were members of Holy Rosary Catholic Church and he was was a graduate of the Medford Catholic School.
He was baptized in Holy Rosary Catholic Church on January 19, 1941. He received First Holy Communion on May 30, 1948 and was confirmed on June 28, 1954.
In 1959, he began attending St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, the Conventual Franciscan high school seminary.
He graduated from Loyola University in 1964.
He was invested with the Franciscan habit on August 14, 1958, when he was given the name Casimir.
He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Paul, MN on March 9, 1968.
Fr. Casimir Michael Cypher had a strong calling to work in the missions. His goal was to bring the gospel to them. Fr. Casimir led a very simple life. A good friend of his, Sr. Mary Garicia stated, “his simplicity was striking.”
His call to do missionary work was given to him when his religious community sent him to San Esteban, a very small mountain village, in Honduras. This tiny village was 40 miles from the small town of Gualaco, which in itself is 5 hours from Juticalapa, Honduras where Fr. Casimir (Michael) Cypher was martyred.
Those who knew him in his community and in Honduras describe him as a simple man, who liked to work with his hands. His grasp of the Spanish language needed some work, but the people loved him. He once tried to give a homily in Spanish and English. When he asked the people how he was doing, they just chuckled and shrugged their shoulders. His response was “Alright, we will try again some other time.”
While he was in San Esteban, Honduras, he was doing a random act of kindness by taking someone to the hospital in Juticalapa. He also took the truck in for repairs. Fr. Casimir was in route to check on his truck when he was arrested.
The Farmer’s National Union had ordered a strike and a protest against the wealthy landlords. The wealthy landlords and the governments military were in the process of suppressing the protest. Human and all legal rights were the least of their concern. Church people were highly suspect and considered to be causing much of the problem. The military was out to kill any religious person, especially the priests.
Some say they were looking for a Fr. Miguel or Michelle, who was truly involved with the Farmer’s National Union. Others say it really didn’t matter. If you were a religious foreign priest, you were killed.
On June 25, 1975, in Gualaco, Honduras, Fr. Casimir (Michael) Cypher, a very simple man who liked to write stories and be with the people, a priest and a brother who lived the life of St. Francis was martyred.
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Conventual Franciscan priest
Murdered by soldiers in Honduras
Buried in Church of St. Jerome, Municipality of Gualaco, Olancho, Honduras.
Father Casimer was born on January 12, 1941 in Medford, Wisconsin. He grew up on a farm there and then entered the High School Seminary, Saint Mary’s in Crystal Lake, Illinois, 1955. He graduated in 1959 and entered the Order as a novice at Saint Bonaventure Novitiate, Lake Forest, Illinois. He professed Simple Vows on August 15, 1950 and solemn vows three years later. He completed his college studies at Loyola University in Chicago, followed by theological studies at Assumption Seminary in Chaska, Minnesota. He was ordained in 1968. The role Casimir loved best as a priest was pastoral in scope; he served as Associate Pastor at St. Anthony’s in Rockford, Illinois, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hermosa Beach, California. Yet, his profound longing was always to serve the poor and disadvantaged in mission lands. He finally realized that dream in Honduras with the friars of Our Lady of Consolation Province. Both at home and abroad, Father Casimir was characterized by simplicity, personal poverty and congenial good humor. He loved nature, and was given to painting and poetry. His advice and sermons were typically down-to-earth, even naïve to those who did not easily perceive his deep spirituality. On June 25, 1975, Casimir was in town on business near Gaulaco, Honduras. The campesinos of the area were demonstrating against their unfair lot and the army, hired by rich and unscrupulous landowners, were quelling the riots. Father Casimer was caught up in the melee. The soldiers were looking for a foreign priest named Michael, which was Casimir’s baptismal name on the passport he carried. Along with three others he was taken to a nearby farm, tortured for many hours in indescribable ways, and finally shot. The bodies were thrown into a deep well, which was then dynamited so as to cover the bodies. Under pressure of the United States’ State Department, his remains were recovered and he now rests at the Parish Church of St. Jerome, Municipality of Gualaco, Olancho, Honduras.