By then, Burma had gained its independence. Yet, rather than bring about peace, this turn of events triggered a bloody and prolonged civil war on the part of rebel group led by “Commandant Richmond” who was an ally of Tire, head of the Tarudda Village. This was the stage on which Blessed Vergara’s martyrdom would unfold. Clear acts of violence against Catholics were recorded since the first months of the year 1950. In the matter of a few months, two catechists were kidnapped and killed. Hence, in order to keep other faithful from being taken by the rebels, Fr.Mario requested to meet with Tire in Shadow. The meeting was set for May 24 at 6.30 pm. The fact that Fr.Vergara agreed to let catechist Isidore accompany him shows that the thought of a possible ambush never crossed his mind. At the very same time Fr.Galastri was captured at the mission house.
When Fr.Mario and Isidore arrived at Shadow, Fr.Mario was subjected to harsh interrogation at the end of which he and Isidore were handcuffed. That night, escorted by rebels, on uneven, rough and wooded terrain, filled with thick unerbush, the two were taken towards the Salween River, a journey of about 15 miles. This means that their “Way of the Cross” lasted atleast six hours. They reached the Salween River on May 25, at dawn. That is the place where they were martyred. The details of how Fr.Glastri’s life ended remain shrouded in mystery.
The corpses of Fr.Mario and of his catechist Isidore were placed in sacks and thrown into the raging current of the Salween. The two sacks were found by some fishermen of the Shan people near the villages of Tatamaw and Ywathit. Upon opening the sacks and finding the corpses, filled with fear and driven by superstition, the fishermen decided to toss them back into the furious river current. That was the last time anyone ever saw the bodies of the two martyrs, who had been killed out of hatred for the faith.