Saint Mary An Linghua

Saint Maria An Linghua (born 1871 in Anping, Hebei, China; died July 11, 1900, in Liugongying, Hebei) was a Catholic saint and martyr. Maria An Linghua was born in 1871 in Anping, Hebei Province. During the Boxer Rebellion, Christians in China were subjected to persecution. On July 11, 1900, Maria An Linghua was arrested by insurgents along with her family members: her grandmother Anna An Xin, Maria An Guo, and Anna An Jiao. They were pressured to renounce their faith, but upon their refusal, they were taken outside the village and murdered. Her feast day is July 9, as part of the group of 120 Chinese Martyrs. She was beatified on April 17, 1955, by Pope Pius XII as one of the companions of Léon-Ignace Mangin. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000, as one of the 120 Chinese Martyrs.