austraLasia #2884
Augustine Zhao Rong and his Companions, Martyrs
9 July 2011 -- The comments keep coming about Peter ToRot - more on that below. In the meantime, having highlighted a martyr at one end of the Region, it would not do to miss an important group, 120 of them, at the other end of the Region. 9 July is the liturgical celebration of the Chinese martyrs.
Augustine Zhao Rong was one of the Chinese soldiers who escorted Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse to his execution. Moved by his patience, he asked to be baptised, and in due course was sent to the seminary and ordained a priest. He was arrested and savagely tortured. He died in 1815.
With him are celebrated 119 of his companions in martyrdom in China between 1648 and 1930 (including Bishop Dufresse).
Official persecution of Christians by the Emperors ceased in 1842, but violent anti-religious sentiments persisted, and in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, Christians were particularly attacked and many thousands were killed.
It might be of interest to note that in very recent times, of two statues sent to our original Chinese Diocese, only one got through customs. The other no: it was deemed unacceptable; the statue of a martyr!
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In the meantime, this further comment on Bl Peter ToRot from Fr Eddie O'Neill in South Africa:
"Greetings from Cape Town. Thank you for your interesting report. As you are aware I was Promotor of Justice in the cause of the Servant of God Benedict Daswa, of the Tzaneen diocese, here in South Africa. (Also a martyrdom case). As I was working with the Bishop and the Promoter of the Cause, who were both Sacred Heart Fathers, I read the life of Peter To Rot and we used the documents that were submitted to Rome in his cause as a sample document of the process!! Devotion to Benedict is growing as his life (and death) are being promoted and made known within the diocese and the conference".
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2011 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Augustine Zhao Rong and his Companions, Martyrs
9 July 2011 -- The comments keep coming about Peter ToRot - more on that below. In the meantime, having highlighted a martyr at one end of the Region, it would not do to miss an important group, 120 of them, at the other end of the Region. 9 July is the liturgical celebration of the Chinese martyrs.
Augustine Zhao Rong was one of the Chinese soldiers who escorted Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse to his execution. Moved by his patience, he asked to be baptised, and in due course was sent to the seminary and ordained a priest. He was arrested and savagely tortured. He died in 1815.
With him are celebrated 119 of his companions in martyrdom in China between 1648 and 1930 (including Bishop Dufresse).
Official persecution of Christians by the Emperors ceased in 1842, but violent anti-religious sentiments persisted, and in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, Christians were particularly attacked and many thousands were killed.
It might be of interest to note that in very recent times, of two statues sent to our original Chinese Diocese, only one got through customs. The other no: it was deemed unacceptable; the statue of a martyr!
--------
In the meantime, this further comment on Bl Peter ToRot from Fr Eddie O'Neill in South Africa:
"Greetings from Cape Town. Thank you for your interesting report. As you are aware I was Promotor of Justice in the cause of the Servant of God Benedict Daswa, of the Tzaneen diocese, here in South Africa. (Also a martyrdom case). As I was working with the Bishop and the Promoter of the Cause, who were both Sacred Heart Fathers, I read the life of Peter To Rot and we used the documents that were submitted to Rome in his cause as a sample document of the process!! Devotion to Benedict is growing as his life (and death) are being promoted and made known within the diocese and the conference".
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2011 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
