1748 - Francis Diaz

October 28, 1748

Fuzhou, Fujian

Francis Diaz.

Francisco Diaz del Rincón was the “baby” of the four Spanish Catholics martyred in Fujian Province in 1747 and 1748. He was aged just 35 at the time of his death, yet had already spent twelve years in Asia as a missionary. Diaz was born at Sevilla, Spain, in 1713. He joined the Dominican Order at Ecija, and made his profession of commitment to Christ at the age of 17.

Even as a child Diaz had told his father he wanted to go to China to preach the gospel. He commenced the long and dangerous sea-journey to Asia, arriving in Manila, Philippines, in a sick and frail state in 1736. Soon after recovering from the journey he entered China’s Fujian Province through the Portuguese colony of Macau. When Diaz first arrived in Fujian he found the mission in turmoil because the government was hunting for Christians, seeking to put them to death. Not being fluent in the language, he was forced to rely on the help of local believers to survive. His fellow Dominican Francis Serrano often spent time with the new recruit. Serrano gave Diaz permission to return to the safety of Manila if he wanted, but Diaz chose to remain in China regardless of the consequences.

Diaz impressed his fellow missionaries by his simplicity of faith and zeal for holiness. Joachim Royo said of him,

“His health suffered because of his apostolic zeal. He hears confessions until late at night; he maintains a recollected spirit and has the greatest horror for the slightest sin. Nothing is too difficult for him when it involves the care of souls. Christians as well as non-Christians admire his simplicity and honesty.”[1]

In 1746 soldiers came searching for Diaz. Frustrated by their inability to locate his hiding place, they captured some Chinese Catholic women to find out where he was, but they refused to speak, preferring to suffer rather than to betray a servant of God. On June 29th he was finally captured and imprisoned at Fuzhou, along with the other Spanish missionaries.

On October 28, 1748, Francis Diaz was taken just outside the prison and suffocated to death. Some brave Christians risked arrest by coming to retrieve his remains so they could give him a proper burial.