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Let's learn together to life of In 1747-1748, five more Spanish Dominicans were martyred. In 1814, persecutions picked up again as a result of new imperial decrees forbidding the practice of the Christian faith. This time, the persecutions were directed towards native-born Chinese Christians. Among them was Father Augustine Zhao Rong, a priest of the Diocese of Chengdu, China.
Father Augustine, whose name is attached to today’s memorial, was the first native-born Chinese priest and the first Chinese priest to be martyred. He was originally a soldier entrusted with the task of transporting to Beijing French Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse who had been arrested and would also be martyred. During the long journey, the bishop greatly impressed Zhao Rong with his kindness and peaceful demeanor in the face of persecution. Zhao Rong requested and received baptism after learning about the Catholic faith. Taking the name Augustine, he was later ordained a priest. After his arrest, he was offered the opportunity to renounce the Catholic faith but refused. After horrific tortures, Father Augustine died of his injuries in prison.
Between 1814 and 1862, twenty-six Christians were martyred in China. In the summer of 1900, a fierce persecution of foreigners and Christians broke out. The Boxer Rebellion claimed the lives of eighty-six martyrs, including many religious sisters, priests, catechists, and other laity. In addition to the eighty-six canonized martyrs, thousands of other Christians died. The final two martyrs honored today, an Italian priest and bishop, died in 1930.
As the Church Father Tertullian famously said, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Such is the case in China. The proclamation of the Gospel in this populous land continues today, and much resistance continues. As we honor these Chinese martyrs, pray for the Chinese people, begging God to continue to send holy men and women to that land to share the saving message of Jesus Christ.
Source:mycatholic.lif...
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