On this day, the Church celebrates the many people throughout Chinese history who have been heroic examples of Christian faith. St. Augustine Zhao Rong is one of the 122 Catholics who died for their faith as martyrs between 1648 and 1930.
In 1815, a bishop named John Gabriel Dufresse was arrested. It was against the law to practice Christianity. One of the Chinese soldiers who was guarding him was deeply impressed by the bishop’s calmness and patience under persecution. After Bishop Dufresse was put to death, the soldier asked to become a member of the Catholic Church. He was baptized, taking the name Augustine. Augustine then entered the seminary and studied to become a priest.
Soon after he was ordained, he was arrested for being a Christian. He was tortured in an attempt to try to make him give up his faith in Christ. But his sufferings only made him stronger and surer of his beliefs. He was put to death, and his name was added to the list of brave Chinese men, women, and children who sacrificed their lives in testimony to their faith.
This list of heroes includes seventy-six lay people, some of them children as young as seven years old, eight seminarians, twenty-four priests, and six bishops. Of these people, eighty-eight were Chinese and thirty-four were missionaries from other countries, who had made China their home.
They were proclaimed saints by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000.
Maria was born in 1890 in Italy. Her father died of malaria ten years later. By the time she was twelve, Maria helped her mother on the farm, in the house, and with the care of the other children. She never complained because they were so poor. In fact, she cheered up her mother and was a great comfort to her. She went to Mass regularly even though it meant a two-hour walk. Maria also received the Sacrament of Reconciliation as often as she could.
A young neighbor, Alexander, tried a few times to make Maria sin against purity. She absolutely refused. She did her best to avoid him. July 5, 1902 was a hot summer day. Maria was alone in the cottage mending clothes. Alexander came again to try to make her sin. Maria refused once more. He attacked her and dragged her into an inner room. Maria managed to keep saying, “No, no! What you are doing is a mortal sin. God doesn’t want it. If you do this, you will go to hell.” And she struggled as much as she could. Alexander panicked. He stabbed her furiously with a dagger he had made. Then he ran away.
Maria was taken to a hospital, where she died about twenty-four hours later. During her last hours, she forgave her attacker. Her only worry was for her mother. With great joy, the girl received Jesus in Holy Communion. Then she went to heaven. Alexander was sent to prison. For eight years he refused to repent of his horrible crime. Then one night he had a dream or a vision of Maria offering him flowers. From that moment on, he was a changed man. When he was freed from prison after twenty years, his first visit was to the Goretti home. He asked Maria’s mother for forgiveness. Then Alexander spent the rest of his life as the gardener in a nearby monastery.
Maria was declared a blessed by Pope Pius XII on April 27, 1947. The pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s with Maria’s eighty-two-year-old mother, Assunta. Three years later, on July 25, 1950, the same pope declared Maria a saint. He called her “a martyr of holy purity.”
St. Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. In the Syriac language his name means “twin.” Once when Jesus was going to face the danger of being killed, the other apostles tried to keep the Master back. St. Thomas said to them, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (Jn 11:16).
When Jesus was captured by his enemies, Thomas lost his courage. He ran away with the other apostles. His heart was broken with sorrow at the death of his beloved Lord. Then on Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to his apostles after he had risen from the dead. He showed them the wounds in his hands and side. Thomas was not with them at the time. As soon as he arrived, the other apostles told him joyfully, “We have seen the Lord.” They thought Thomas would be happy. Instead, he did not believe their message. He hadn’t seen Jesus as they had.
“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails,” he said, “and put my finger into the nailmarks, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, Jesus appeared to his apostles again. This time, Thomas was there, too. Christ called him and told him to touch his hands and the wound in his side. Thomas fell down at the Master’s feet and cried out, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.” You will find this story in the Gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 24–29.
After Pentecost, Thomas was strong and firm in his belief and trust in Jesus. It is said that he went to India to preach the Gospel. He died a martyr there, after proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to many people.
Oliver Plunkett was born in County Meath in 1625, and died at Tyburn in 1681. Little is known about his early life except that he was educated privately by a Cistercian cousin, Dr Patrick Plunkett, who eventually became bishop of Meath. Ordained in Rome in 1654, he was professor at the college of Propaganda Fidei until 1669, when he was appointed archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland. He held synods and visitations and promoted the reforms initiated by the Council of Trent. It was a time when persecution was less severe, though he would often have to dress as a layman. In 1673 the English Parliament forced the king, Charles II, to behave more strictly towards Catholics, and edicts were issued banning bishops and all religious from Ireland. For the next few years he was able to continue his work clandestinely and was even able to hold a provincial synod. Despite the danger he went to visit his uncle, Bishop Plunkett, who was dying. He was arrested and imprisoned in Dublin Castle in 1679, he was tried on the extraordinary charge of having planned to bring seventy thousand French troops into Ireland. There was clearly no hope of a successful conviction in Ireland he was taken to London and duly found guilty of the charge. He was executed in London, the final victim of the ‘Popish Plot’ and the last person to be executed for the faith in England. He is remembered for his pastoral zeal and for the friendly relations he established with those who did not share the Catholic faith. His body rests at Downside Abbey, his head at Drogheda.
Peter, the first bishop of Rome (we now call the bishop of Rome the pope), was a fisherman from Bethsaida. Jesus invited him to follow him, saying: “I will make you a fisher of people.” Peter was a simple, hard-working man. He was generous, honest and very attached to Jesus.
This great apostle’s original name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which means “rock.” “You are Peter,” Jesus said, “and on this rock I will build my Church.” Peter was the leader of the apostles.
When Jesus was arrested, Peter became afraid. That’s when he denied that he knew Jesus three times. But Peter was very sorry for what he had done, and Jesus forgave him. After his resurrection Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” “Lord,” Peter answered, “you know all things. You know that I love you.” Peter was right. Jesus really did know! Jesus said kindly, “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep.” Jesus was telling Peter to take care of his Church because he would be ascending into heaven. Jesus made Peter the leader of his followers.
Peter eventually went to live in Rome. Rome was the center of the whole world at that time. Peter converted many nonbelievers there. When the fierce persecution of Christians began, they begged Peter to leave Rome and save himself. There is a tradition that says Peter actually started to run away. But he met Jesus on the road. “Lord, where are you going?” Peter asked him. Jesus answered, “I am going to Rome to be crucified a second time.” Then Peter turned around and went back. He realized that this vision meant that he was to suffer and die for Jesus. Soon after, he was taken prisoner and condemned to death. Because he was not a Roman citizen, he, like Jesus, could be crucified. This time he did not deny the Lord. This time he was ready to die for him. Peter asked to be crucified with his head downward since he was not worthy to suffer as Jesus had. The Roman soldiers did not find this unusual because slaves were frequently crucified in the same manner.
St. Peter was martyred and buried on Vatican Hill. It was around the year 67. Emperor Constantine built a large church over that holy spot in the fourth century. Today the beautiful church called St. Peter’s Basilica stands there.
St. Peter has another feast that we celebrate. It is on February 22 and is called the Chair of St. Peter.
St Paul – Saul was Jewish, but because he was born in Tarsus, he was also a Roman citizen, with the Roman name “Paul.” He studied his Jewish faith carefully and was very dedicated to it. Saul made his living as a tentmaker.
Before Saul’s conversion, he thought he was pleasing God by persecuting the Christians. At the time of his conversion, Jesus had said: “I will show him how much he must suffer for me.” After Jesus appeared to Saul, Saul began to use his Roman name Paul. Paul loved Jesus very much, so much, in fact, that he tried to imitate him in every way. All his life, during his many missionary trips, Paul met troubles and went through dangers of every kind. He was whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, and lost at sea. Many, many times he was hungry, thirsty and cold. But Paul always trusted in God. And he never stopped preaching. “The love of Jesus presses me onward,” he said. In reward, God gave him great comfort and joy in spite of every suffering.
We read about St. Paul’s marvelous adventures for Jesus in St. Luke’s Acts of the Apostles, beginning with chapter nine. But St. Luke’s story ends when Paul arrives in Rome. He is under house arrest, waiting to be tried by Emperor Nero. A famous early Christian writer, Tertullian, tells us that Paul was freed after his first trial. But then he was put in prison again. This time he was sentenced to death. He died around the year 67, during Nero’s terrible persecution of the Christians.
Paul called himself the apostle of the Gentiles because he preached the Gospel to the people who weren’t Jewish. That took him across the then-known world. Because of Paul, we too, have received the Christian faith. In the New Testament, we can read many of the letters which he wrote to the churches which he helped form. In these letters, St. Paul gives helpful advice on living the Christian life.
We celebrate another feast of St. Paul, the feast of his conversion, on January 25.
Cyril was born in Alexandria, Egypt, around the year 370. His uncle, Theophilus, was the patriarch or archbishop. His uncle meant well, but he had a bad temper and could be stubborn at times. Archbishop Theophilus was responsible for sending Bishop John Chrysostom (who became a saint) into exile in 403. But the emperor brought the famous bishop back to his archdiocese of Constantinople. It seems that Cyril was influenced by his uncle’s prejudice of John, and agreed when Bishop John was sent into exile. (We celebrate the feast of St. John Chrysostom on September 13.)
When Theophilus died in 412, Cyril became the archbishop. He was very clear about his love for the Church and for Jesus. He was a brave man in confusing times, and he preached what the Church taught. Cyril was honest and straightforward. He was not looking for praise or positions. However, Cyril could be impulsive and stubborn at times. He wanted to express the truths of the Church with his preaching and writing, and he did. But when he became upset, he was not concerned about saying things in a gentle way, so he blurted out angrily at times.
This must have caused him sorrow. Yet Christians were grateful for his many wonderful qualities, such as courage in defending the Church and her teachings.
Cyril was the representative of Pope St. Celestine I at the Council of Ephesus in 431. This was an official Church meeting of over 200 bishops. They had to study the teachings of a priest named Nestorius. The Council explained clearly that Nestorius was wrong about some important truths we believe. For example, he was teaching that Jesus Christ was God, but not man. Of course, Jesus is truly God and truly man. The pope gave Nestorius ten days to promise that he would not keep preaching his errors. But Nestorius would not give in. The Council explained to the people of God that such errors about Jesus could not be accepted. The bishops were so clear in their explanation that these false teachings would never again be a major threat.
The people were very grateful to Cyril of Alexandria who led the Council meetings. Cyril went back to his archdiocese and worked hard for the Church, writing and explaining the truths of the faith until he died in 444. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed St. Cyril a Doctor of the Church in 1882.
John’s parents were Zachary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was an elderly cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The archangel Gabriel appeared to Zachary and told him that Elizabeth would have a son, whom he should name John. Zachary doubted the angel, because he and his wife were too old to have children. To show God’s power, the angel told Zachary that he would not be able to speak until everything had happened as the Lord had promised.
Later, Gabriel visited Mary and told her that she would become the mother of the Savior. Gabriel also told Mary that Elizabeth was soon to be a mother. Mary went to visit and help her cousin. Then Elizabeth had her baby. Zachary named him John, as the angel had requested. At that moment, Zachary was able to speak again, and he began praising God.
When the neighbors of Zachary and Elizabeth witnessed this, they began to ask each other, “What will this child become?” They knew that God was calling him to something great. John did have a special calling. He was going to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus.
As a young man, John went into the desert to prepare himself for his mission with silence, prayer and penance. Soon crowds started to come to him. They realized he was a holy man. John warned the people to be sorry for their sins. He told them to change their lives, and he gave them the baptism of repentance. That is why he is called John the Baptist. One day, Jesus himself came to John. He wanted to be baptized with John’s baptism to begin making up for our sins. On that day, John told the crowds that Jesus was the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for. He told them and everyone else to follow Jesus. John said, “Jesus must become more and more important and I must become less and less important.” He said that he was not even worthy to loosen the strap of Jesus’ sandal.
St. John the Baptist was a great prophet. He pointed Jesus out and prepared people to follow Jesus. Let’s listen to St. John’s advice and allow Jesus to become more and more important in our lives.
John Fisher was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1469. He was educated at Cambridge University and became a priest. Father John taught at Cambridge, too. He was a wonderful teacher and helped the students grow in their knowledge of the Catholic faith. But there was a lot of confusion about religion in those days. Father John helped people to know the truth about God and the Catholic Church.
In 1504, he became the bishop of Rochester, England. It was a poor diocese. Bishop John was to remain its shepherd for thirty years. Besides being the bishop of Rochester, he was the head of Cambridge University. Bishop John also heard the confessions of King Henry VIII’s mother.
Bishop John had many friends, including the famous scholar, Erasmus, and the great Sir Thomas More. Bishop John and Thomas More would have never guessed that one day they would be sharing a feast day on the calendar of saints!
King Henry VIII became angry with Bishop John for insisting that his marriage to Queen Catherine was true. Then Henry VIII divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn in a civil ceremony. The king demanded that people sign an oath of loyalty to him. He made himself head of the Church in England. Bishop John would not sign the oath. He was arrested in 1534 and sent to the Tower of London. The tower was damp and the treatment was harsh. Bishop John suffered very much, but he would not betray his faith. Even though there were no televisions and radios back then, people found out about what Bishop John, Sir Thomas More and others like them were going through. They were shocked and saddened. On 12th June 1535, Pope Paul III named Bishop John a cardinal. He hoped this would make King Henry set him free. But the king only became more angry and mean. After ten months in prison, Cardinal John was beheaded on 22nd June 1535.
Along with his friend, Sir Thomas More, Cardinal John Fisher was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935.
Sometimes it’s much easier to go along with the crowd rather than stand up for the truth. But the story of St. John shows that God will always give us the strength we need to do the right thing.
St. John Fisher pray for us.
St. Thomas More
Sir Thomas More was a famous lawyer and writer. He was born in London in 1478. His father had been a lawyer, too, and a judge. Thomas was always grateful to his father for being so loving and for not spoiling him.
Thomas’ first wife, Jane Colt, died when she was very young. Thomas was left with four small children. He got married again to a widow named Alice Middleton. She was a good but simple woman who could not even read or write, even though Thomas tried to teach her. Thomas made home life enjoyable for his family because he was so pleasant to be with. During meals, one of the children would read from the Bible. Then they would have fun and tell jokes. Thomas often invited poorer neighbours to come to dinner, too. He always helped the poor as much as he could. He loved to delight his guests with surprises. He even kept some playful monkeys as pets. But few people could have imagined how deeply religious Thomas really was. He prayed long hours into the night and performed penances, too. He was very much aware that he needed the grace and help of God to live as a true Christian.
Thomas held important government positions in England. For three years he was Lord Chancellor, another name for prime minister. King Henry VIII used to put his arm around Thomas’ shoulder because they were such good friends. Although Thomas was most loyal to the king, he was loyal to God first of all. In fact, when the king tried to make him disobey God’s law, Thomas refused. King Henry wanted to divorce his wife and marry another woman. However, the pope could not give permission, since that is against God’s law. Henry was stubborn and at last he left the Church. He wanted everyone to recognize him as the head of the Church in England. Thomas could not do that. He chose to remain faithful to the Catholic faith and to God. He was condemned to death for that, yet he forgave his judges. Thomas even said that he hoped he would see them in heaven. He really meant it, too.
At the scaffold, where he was to die, Thomas declared himself “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.” He kissed his executioner on the cheek. Then he joked, saying that his beard should not be cut off because it had not done anything wrong. Sir Thomas More was martyred on Tuesday, 6th July 1535, at the age of 57. Sir Thomas More was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935, together with his friend, Bishop John Fisher. He is the patron saint of lawyers.
St. Thomas risked losing everything: his fortune, his position, his own security and even the safety of his family. But he held fast to his Catholic faith, even to the point of sacrificing his life. Like his friend St. John, Thomas was able to remain strong because he prayed and trusted in God. Let’s try to be like him.
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