St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions
June 9 is the commemoration of St. Augustine Zhao Rhong and companions. Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China’s relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly. The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930. Most of them (87) were born in China and were children, parents, catechists or laborers, ranging from nine years of age to 72. This group includes four Chinese diocesan priests.
The 33 foreign-born martyrs were mostly priests or women religious, especially from the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese solider who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Paris Foreign Mission Society) to his martyrdom in Beijing. Augustine was baptized and not long after was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815. Beatified in groups at various times, these 120 martyrs were canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000. See more at americancatholic.org.
The Xaverian Missionaries, founded by St. Guido Conforti in 1895, was first established for the wide horizons of the Chinese mission in a time in the church when missionary renewal was very strong. Read more on our first work in China in 1898, up until our expulsion by the communists from 1947-1954. Today we are presently in Taiwan. Today we are living in Mainland China and in Taipei, Taiwan. We work at St. Francis Xavier Parish, involved in full time pastoral activities, including several youth groups, some lead the China Forum meetings, and other collaborates with the Diocesan Youth Office and inter religious dialogue. Our sole and exclusive goal is evangelization of China.
