1900 - Catholic Martyrs in Hebei

May – August 1900

Hebei

Hebei Province in north China had the highest number of Catholics in China, and subsequently suffered the highest number of Boxer martyrdoms. Just a few brief testimonies of the thousands who perished in Hebei are listed here, but thousands more departed this world to heaven without any earthy record of their testimony.

The Vicariate Apostolic of Southeastern Hebei Province alone counted more than 5,000 Catholic martyrs between June and August 1900. Pope Pius XII examined 2,072 cases of martyrdom, beatifying 56 of them in April 1956. Beatification is the first step towards a Catholic becoming a saint. There were numerous massacres of whole Catholic villages throughout Hebei that were never recorded. One that was recorded is the massacre of 30 Catholics at Dingxing on May 16, 1900. A Protestant missionary reported:

“The Boxers came down on the village, surrounded the houses of the Roman Catholics as they were pointed out to them, and then robbed them, allowing no one to escape. Finally they fired the houses, and as the people rushed out from the flames, they were killed and thrown back into the fire. Only one man escaped and they pursued him. He jumped into a well and so they fired their guns into the well and threw down bricks until, thinking him dead, they left…. The Roman Catholics were completely wiped out, thirty or more.”[1]

A Methodist Deacon named Heng said, “In one place I saw the death of a Catholic family. A mother and two children were bound and led away. A neighbour begged for the younger child and took it to keep, but the mother and older child were led away and cut to death. I heard her cry, ‘O Lord! O Lord! Receive my soul!’ That soul truly went to heaven.”[2]

In the second week of May a dispute occurred during a public theatrical performance staged by a temple in a village halfway between Beijing and the city of Baoding in Hebei Province. The Catholics took offence at the opera because it was being staged in front of one of their homes. They overturned the idols set up in a nearby tent, and the Bishop of Baoding launched a lawsuit against the priest in charge. The magistrate decided in favour of the Catholics, and the temple officials were forced to provide a five-table feast to the church members. They were even ordered to bow to the Catholics while serving the food. Angered and deeply humiliated, the temple priest

“invited Boxers to open a training ground in a temple courtyard. They attacked the church and homes of the converts, killing all the members of some thirty Catholic families…. Emboldened by what they had done, groups of Boxers began to fan out along the railway line, attacking stations and trying to interdict bridges along the route.”[3]

A Chinese believer reported that on July 16th the Boxers

“killed over a hundred Christians at Xuanhua, and burned hundreds of houses. There were three large carts containing Catholic nuns, who were all killed, the carts were burned, the mules were cut into pieces and burned too…. Going northward through the streets I saw dead bodies and ashes. Where the Catholic nuns had been killed, only the hoofs of the mules were left.”[4]

A 25-year-old Catholic woman named Theresa Chen Jinjie joined with ten friends and relatives in an attempt to flee from the Boxers. They made their way to a neighbouring town, but being strangers their presence was soon made known to the Boxers. Theresa was seriously wounded by a sword and later died.

Maria Wang Li. [CRBC]

Maria Wang Li was a 49-year-old mother of two from Wei Xian. She was known for her love and deep commitment to God and to her countrymen. In the summer of 1900 Wang tried to flee from the Boxers with her two children. After they were captured, many non-believers pleaded with the Boxers not to kill her, falsely claiming she was not a Christian in a bid to protect her. Maria told her misguided friends, “Please do not beg them for my life. I am certainly one of the faithful and my family has been such for generations.”[5] Because of her decisive testimony Maria was taken to Daning village and beheaded.

Joseph Yuan Gengyin. [CRBC]

Joseph Yuan Gengyin was a native of Hui village in Zaoqiang County. When the Boxers scoured the countryside hunting for anyone associated with Christianity, Yuan visited a nearby town to buy provisions. On the road he encountered a group of Boxers from Shandong Province. They offered him a chance to escape if he would worship idols with them at the Dayin temple, but the 47-year-old refused and was cut to pieces.

John Ma Taishun. [CRBC]

John Ma Taishun was born in 1840 at Qianshengzhuang village in Dongguang County. He joined the Catholic Church as a teenager and later became a widely respected doctor. He also worked as a catechist, helping fellow believers better understand their faith. On June 26, 1900, Ma was alerted that the Boxers were coming to his village. He fled into the fields nearby, concealing himself while the Boxers plundered and murdered. Not finding the Christian doctor at home, the Boxers searched for him and soon found his hiding place.

John Ma Taishun’s friends and neighbours tried to get him to denounce his faith, but he responded, “‘I firmly believe in God. If you want to kill me for that, do it and don’t hesitate. I am willing to suffer and die for God’s sake.’ He then recited the Lord’s Prayer. The Boxers beheaded him and burned his body.”[6]

Mary Du Zhao. [CRBC]

Mary Du Zhao was a 51-year-old housewife, mother, and committed Catholic from Qifengzhuang village in Shen Xian. She spent much of her time in prayer every day. One of her sons, Mark, was influenced by her spiritual fervour and later became a priest. One day Mary went to visit her cousin Du Chingche and his wife Magdalena in Hengshui County. While she was there the Boxers pounded on the door, demanding to know if they were Catholics. Mary responded, “Thank God, we are. All I want to do is give my life to God.”[7] Her desire was granted, and her name entered onto the scroll of martyrs on June 28, 1900. All three were beheaded.

Paul Wu Anjiu, John Baptist Mantang, and Paul Wu Wanshu. [CRBC]

Paul Wu Anjiu was a 62-year-old grandfather who tried to flee from the Boxers as they approached his village of Xihetou in Shen Xian. He was accompanied by eight family members, including his two teenage grandsons, John Baptist Wu Mantang (aged 17) and Paul Wu Wanshu (16). The Boxers caught up with the group and demanded they come out of the bushes they were trying to conceal themselves in. The Boxers shouted, “Are you Christians?” to which they boldly replied, “Of course we are.” The Boxers matter-of-factly stated, “‘If you are Christians, we will kill you.’ They replied, ‘You may kill us, but we remain Catholic Christians forever.’”[8] All nine were slain on June 29, 1900.

John Zhu Wurui. [CRBC]

John Zhu Wurui was a 17-year-old follower of Christ who lived at the Green Grass River Village in Jing Xian. When the Boxers came to his village, he slipped away to warn other Catholics living nearby of the danger. The Boxers caught him on June 29, 1900, and swiftly severed the young man’s head from his body. His head was hung on a tree as a warning to the other Christians.

Mary Guo Li. [CRBC]

Mary Guo Li was the 65-year-old wife of a well-known Catholic leader, Guo Zhinfang at Shen Xian. The couple were blessed with numerous children and grandchildren, all of whom were brought up in the Christian faith. When the Boxer persecution began, she encouraged her family and other believers to stand firm and not deny the Lord.

On July 7, 1900, Mary, her two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren were led to the execution ground to be beheaded. As she neared the place of death some of Mary’s relatives watched with tears in their eyes. She turned to them and said, “Don’t cry. We are going to heaven to enjoy eternal life.”[9] With the flash of a sharp blade, Mary and her six family members departed from this life into the presence of Jesus Christ.

The four female members of the An family who were martyred while fleeing the Boxers. [CRBC]

The An family attempted to flee from their home at Liugongying Village, Anping County. The Boxers caught four female members of the family: Anna Anxing, the 72-year-old mother; Mary An Guo (her 64-year-old daughter-in-law); Mary An Linghua (a 29-year-old catechist and granddaughter of Anna Anxing), and Anna An Jiao (aged 26). The Boxers encircled the four women like vicious wolves, offering freedom if they would renounce their faith. All four refused and were put to death together on July 11, 1900.

Paul Liu Jinde. [CRBC]

Paul Liu Jinde was a 79-year-old Catholic from Lanziqiao village in Hengshui County. He had devotedly followed the teachings of Christ all his life. When the Boxers threatened his village, Paul decided there was no point trying to flee, and calmly waited with his son for the Boxers to arrive. They were hacked to pieces on July 13, 1900.

The Wang cousins, martyrs for Christ in Hebei Province. [CRBC]

John Wang Guixin (aged 25 when he was martyred) and Joseph Wang Guiji (27) were first cousins. They lived at ‘Double-Tomb’ village, in Jizhou County. Both had become Christians years before. During the Boxer Rebellion the two fled from their home village, hoping to stay alive as long as possible. During a heavy shower of rain, they stopped for shelter at an inn, where the innkeeper recognized them and sent a message to the Boxers. John Wang Guixin was instantly killed, but Joseph tried to escape. He was recaptured soon after and taken to the local magistrate. The man tried to offer him a chance to prolong his life by denying Christ, but Joseph Wang Guiji refused to compromise his faith. The magistrate reluctantly turned him over to the Boxers who executed him. One source noted: “He died calling on the name of Jesus.”[10]

Barbara Cui Lian. [CRBC]

Barbara Cui Lian, a Catholic mother from Xiaotian village in Hejian County, was born in 1849. Her home was a place of devotion and worship. Two of her sons—Joseph Cui Shouxian and Cui Puyuan—became Catholic priests. Barbara loved to serve in the church and help the many beggars that lived in her area. On July 15, 1900, the Boxers captured and executed Barbara Cui Lian and her son, Wensheng, his wife Mary Sung, and seven other Christians.

Theresa Zhang He. [CRBC]

Theresa Zhang He was a 46-year-old mother and a member of a Catholic church. On July 16th the Boxers came to her home village of Yunjia, in Ningjin County. They decided to identify all the Christians by seeing which people would refuse to worship idols. The Boxers brought Theresa and her son and daughter to the Polin temple, where they refused to bow. Theresa and her children were stabbed to death. Theresa Zhang He had often said, “To die in bed is not an easy way to reach heaven, but martyrdom is. I pray God to give me that grace soon.”[11] Her prayer was answered.

Lang Yang and Paul Lang Fu. [CRBC]

Lang Yang was born in 1871 at Lu village in Qinghe County, Hebei Province. She married before she had become a Christian, and soon after her conversion to Christ she gave birth to her only child, a son named Paul Lang Fu. When the Boxers attacked their village on July 16, 1900, they caught Lang Yang,

“tied her to a tree and began to question her about her faith. Lang Fu, returning from play, began to cry when he saw his mother there. She just said: ‘Don’t cry, child, come here.’ The Boxers then set fire to the house, pierced her body with a lance and cut off the boy’s arm. Both were thrown into the fire. She was 29, the lad, seven.”[12]

Peter Zhu Rixin. [CRBC]

Peter Zhu Rixin was born in the predominantly Catholic village of East Zhujiahe in Jing Xian. As a young man he studied the Bible, “and was considered a promising student, one who could some day be of service to the Church.”[13] During the horrific Boxer attack on East Zhujiahe village, when more than 3,000 Catholics were slaughtered in a single day,[14] Peter was one of the 51 who managed to escape from the burning church before being rounded up by the Boxers. On July 20th the Boxer General Chen came to Peter. He “was impressed by this handsome and promising young man and did his best to dissuade him from following his God. He failed, so finally he handed him over to the executioners. Peter Zhu Rixin died a martyr at the age of 19.”[15]

By the end of the carnage, it was estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 Catholics had been killed for their faith throughout Hebei Province.[16] Today Hebei is the strongest Catholic region in China, with more than two million Catholic believers meeting in both government-sanctioned churches and in underground Catholic congregations. The blood of the martyrs again proved to be the seed of the Church.

1. Eddy, Horace Tracy Pitkin, 22.
2. Smith, China in Convulsion, Vol.2, 698.
3. Brandt, Massacre in Shansi, 156.
4. Miner, China’s Book of Martyrs, 288-289.
5. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 64.
6. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 61.
7. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 65.
8. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 61.
9. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 65.
10. “The Martyrs of China 1648-1930,” Tripod, 62.
11. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 64.
12. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 64.
13. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 54.
14. See the “The Zhujiahe Massacre of 3,000 Catholics” profile.
15. CRBC, The Newly Canonized Martyr-Saints of China, 54.
16. See Latourette, A History of Christian Missions in China, 508-509.