1900 - Gregorius Grassi

July 9, 1900

Taiyuan, Shanxi

Gregorius Grassi. [CRBC]

Born in Castellazzo Bormida, Italy, on December 13, 1833, Gregorius Grassi and his eight siblings were raised in the fear of the Lord. At the age of 14 he entered the Friary of Montiano in Romangna. One year later Grassi dedicated himself to becoming a Catholic priest. He attended the seminary at Bologna, majoring in theology and philosophy. He was finally ordained a priest on August 17, 1856.

After hearing about the need for missionaries in China, Grassi entered the monastery of St. Bartholomew in Rome to prepare himself. In 1860 he boarded a ship to the Orient, and was assigned to Shanxi Province in north China. For the first several years he was stationed at Taiyuan, and accepted the role of Mission Promoter as well as directing the orphanage and leading the seminary choir.

When the coadjutor to the Bishop of Shanxi died in 1878, Gregorius Grassi was appointed to replace him. This new and difficult ministry involved visiting missionaries and churches by donkey or on foot over a vast radius of some 278 miles (450 km). Bishop Moccagatta died in 1891, and the 58-year-old Grassi assumed the leadership of the vicariate. One of the first decisions he made was to train more Chinese church leaders and thereby reduce the amount of responsibility being carried by the foreign missionaries.

A painting depicting Bishop Grassi and the 11 other Catholic missionary martyrs at Taiyuan.

On the eve of his arrest on July 5, 1900, some of the Italian’s co-workers suggested he go into hiding. Grassi replied, “Ever since I was twelve, I have desired and asked God for martyrdom. Now that this longed-for hour has come, must I run away?”[1] The next day soldiers arrived at the cathedral. One of the men grabbed Grassi by the throat and struck him with a weapon while delivering a message from the governor: If the foreigners were willing to forsake their religion, their lives would be spared. The Bishop calmly responded, “Long years ago I gave up all, I came here to save souls and lead them to God, at no price will I apostatise.”[2] Gregorius Grassi was bound and taken into custody. On July 9th, the 66-year-old bishop and 11 other Catholic missionaries were monstrously beheaded at Taiyuan. Grassi had given the last 40 years of his life to China.

1. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 44.
2. Life of Mother Marie-Hermine of Jesus: Massacred in Shan-si (China) July 9th, 1900 (Quebec: Imprimatur, 1910), 60.