The 120 Martyrs of China
The 120 Martyrs of China were Catholics who lived during different waves of persecution between 1648 and 1930. They included bishops, priests, religious sisters, missionaries, and ordinary Chinese Catholics from all walks of life, including farmers, doctors, workers, mothers, and children. Though they lived in different regions and different generations, they all faced the same choice: deny their faith or remain faithful to Christ.
These are some of their stories.
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong began on the opposite side. As a soldier, he was assigned to escort the imprisoned Bishop Gabriel-Taurin Dufresse. The bishop’s peaceful witness eventually led him to embrace the Christian faith. Zhao Rong was later ordained a priest and eventually gave his own life as a martyr.
Saint Chi Zhuzi was a catechumen preparing for baptism when he was captured and ordered to worship idols. He refused. His captors cut off his right arm and tortured him, but he would not deny Christ. Before his execution, he declared, “Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian.”
Saint Anna Wang was still a young teenager. She was promised her freedom if she simply rejected her faith. She refused. Tradition says that as she walked to her execution, she calmly repeated the name of Jesus three times and proclaimed, “The door of heaven is open to all.”
Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang was a respected doctor who became addicted to opium after it had been prescribed as medicine. For about 30 years, he was unable to receive Holy Communion because his addiction was misunderstood. Yet he never stopped praying or attending Mass. When persecution came, he refused to renounce Christ and asked to be executed last so he could encourage his family until the end.
Saint Lucy Yi Zhenmei devoted her life to teaching the Catholic faith, especially to women and children. Even after learning that she was being hunted, she continued her mission. Repeated threats and pressure never changed her answer, and she remained faithful until the end.
After losing her husband, Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying dedicated her life to serving the Church as a catechist. She traveled from village to village teaching the faith until she was arrested. She remained faithful and gave her life for Christ.
Saint Francisco Fernández de Capillas left Spain as a missionary and reached China by way of the Philippines and Taiwan. He quietly served Chinese Catholics until he was arrested during political unrest. He became the first Catholic missionary martyred in China.
Today, we can finish reading this article in just a few minutes. Their stories, however, are worth carrying a little longer than the time it took to read them.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ