Zhu Wu, Mary, St.

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ZHU WU, MARY, ST.

Lay martyr; b. c. 1850, Zhujiahe, Qin County, Hebei (Hopeh) Province, China; d. there, July 17, 1900. The exemplary Christian Mary Zhu Wu (also spelled Chu Wushih or TsI-U), wife of the village's Catholic leader Zhu Tianxuan, was shot to death by the Boxers in her besieged parish church. After the priest was killed, the church was set aflame with other Christians inside it. Mary's faith was evident prior to her martyrdom: She was known for her charity and trust in God's providence. She was beatified by Pope Pius XII (April 17, 1955) and canonized (Oct. 1, 2000) by Pope John Paul II with Augustine Zhao Rong and companions.

Feast: July 20.

Bibliography: l. miner, China's Book of Martyrs: A Record of Heroic Martyrdoms and Marvelous Deliverances of Chinese Christians during the Summer of 1900 (Ann Arbor 1994). j. simon, Sous le sabre des Boxers (Lille 1955). c. testore, Sangue e palme sul fiume giallo. I beati martiri cinesi nella persecuzione della Boxe Celi Sud-Est, 1900 (Rome 1955). L'Osservatore Romano, Eng. Ed. 40 (2000): 12, 10.

[k. i. rabenstein]