Saint Mary Du

Saint Maria Du Zhao (1849 in Qifengzhuang, Hebei, China – June 28, 1900, in Wangjiatian, Hebei) was a saint of the Catholic Church and a martyr. Maria Du Zhao was born into a Christian family in the village of Qifengzhuang in Shen County, Hebei Province. At the age of 18, she married Du Taiyuan from the village of Dujiatun in accordance with her parents' wishes. During the Boxer Rebellion in China, Christians were persecuted. Maria Du Zhao was captured by the Boxers, who threatened to kill her if she did not renounce her faith. She refused and was subsequently killed. Her feast day is July 9 (as part of the group of 120 Chinese Martyrs). She was beatified on April 17, 1955, by Pius XII as part of the group of Léon-Ignace Mangin and 55 companions. She was canonized on October 1, 2000, by John Paul II as one of the 120 Chinese Martyrs.