1862 - John Zhang Tianshen

February 18, 1862

Kaiyang, Guizhou

John Zhang Tianshen. [CRBC]

In 1805 Zhang Tianshen was the third child born into an impoverished family at Kaiyang, a town northeast of the provincial capital Guiyang. As a young man Zhang became an apprentice carpenter. His family life was full of tragedy. His first wife

“died young after bearing three children. He married again, and had fifteen children altogether, but only two daughters survived. The brevity and vanity of life led him to live a religious life, but he continued to care for his family, practicing his austerity at home.”[1]

One day Zhang met a Catholic catechist named Tang, who shared the gospel with him. The message immediately touched Zhang’s heart, and he went straight to the priest’s house, determined to embrace the faith he had just heard about. When he returned home Zhang immediately destroyed all his idols and shrines. His life changed dramatically, and he could not rest until he had told the gospel to someone. One historical account records,

“He convinced his wife of the truth of Christianity and then taught the faith to his children. With time, his zeal in preaching the gospel kept increasing and many of his acquaintances and friends accepted the faith. Finally, on January 18, 1862, he took the name John and with his wife was baptized by Jean-Pierre Néel.”[2]

The regional administrator for Guizhou Province had a personal dislike of Christians. He stirred up trouble in 1862, just a few weeks after Zhang and his wife had been baptized. Zhang was arrested along with his fellow Catholics Martin Wu Xuesheng, John Chen Xianheng, and the leading missionary Jean-Pierre Néel. Later, a sister named Lucy Yi Zhenmei was also arrested. The group of five Christians was

“treated just like animals, enduring all sorts of tortures. The magistrate lost no time in bringing them to trial, where without any formal defence they were charged with treason. Without renouncing their faith they could not avoid the death penalty, but on this point they refused every compromise. The furious magistrate sentenced them all to death.”[3]

The execution date was set for February 18, 1862. In the morning they were bound and led down the main street of the town. The people lined the streets and jeered and furiously mocked the condemned Christians. Taking this humiliation with joy, they prayed to God for strength. The five Christians were beheaded, and their bodies buried at the Liuchongguan Seminary cemetery. Fifty-seven-year-old John Zhang Tianshen had only been a baptized Christian for one month before he was granted a martyrs crown.

1. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 22.
2. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 22.
3. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 23.