A catechist in Burkina Faso prayed 700 Hail Marys in a single night after he was captured by Islamic extremists.
Mathieu Sawadogo was kidnapped and held for four months with his pregnant wife before he was released.
Speaking out now about his ordeal, he told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that he “never stopped praying” after armed men seized him at his home in broad daylight.
He said: “I remember one night that I prayed 700 Hail Marys – I counted them out with pebbles. At that time, prayer was the only thing that sustained me.
