"Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian".
- Chi Zhuzi, 18 year old Chinese martyr

On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 120 men, women, and children who gave their lives for the faith in China between the years 1648 and 1930. 87 of these martyrs were Chinese and the other 33 foreign missionaries. The majority were killed during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 which fell under the reign of the Ching dynasty (1648-1907).

Religious persecution has a long history in China, especially persecution of Christians. Thousands of Christians have been killed for their faith in China in the last 800 years beginning with the first recorded persecution under the early Yuan dynasty (1281-1367) and another under the late Ming dynasty (1606-1637) two and a half centuries later.

One of the most well-known of the martyrs was a 14 year-old girl named Ann Wang who was killed during the Boxer Rebellion because she refused to apostasize when faced with the threats of her executioners.  They cut off her right arm to make her submit but she remained adamant. Just as she was about to be beheaded she declared  "The door of heaven is open to all," and murmured the name of Jesus three times.

Chi Zhuzi, an eighteen-year old boy who had been receiving catechism lessons and was ready to receive the sacrament of Baptism was caught on the road one night and ordered to worship idols in a temple. He refused to do so, revealing his belief in Christ. They threatened to cut him into little pieces if he did not deny his faith and he refused firmly, As they inflicted the slow and excruciating torture on him, he said to them "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."

Other Martyrs celebrated on the same day are the Martyrs of Gorkum:
These nineteen martyrs were hanged by Calvinists on July 9, 1572 at Gorkum, Holland for maintaining their loyalty to the Pope and for their belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist.

06:47 am | Planned Parenthood says U.S. bishops have ‘hijacked’ health care reform with Stupak Amendment

05:00 am | Thomas More Law Center lawyer files papers to run for Congress

03:56 am | Novenas to Our Lady of Remedies seek safe return of kidnapped missionary

01:03 am | Dominican Order in Vietnam flourishes

12:09 am | Deacon cured through intervention of Cardinal Newman preaches at Westminster Cathedral