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Jul 8 - Bl. Gregory Grassi and Companions

About 25,000 Catholics in China and 43 European missionaries won the martyr's crown during the so-called Boxer Persecution of 1900. The Boxers were a fanatical sect who hated all foreigners and especially the Catholic Church. With the approval of the empress dowager Tzu Chi, then ruling the Chinese Empire, they went about burning churches and murdering missionaries and their neophytes.

One of the principal promoters of the Boxer movement as the governor Yu Hsien who resided at Taiyuanfu, Shansi. In this city was also the residence of the Franciscan Bishop Gregory Grassi, vicar apostolic of northern Shansi, and his coadjutor, Bishop Francis Fogolla. Here were also a seminary and an orphanage. The latter was conducted by Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary who had arrived only the previous year.

During the night of July 5, Yu Hsien's soldiers appeared at the Franciscan mission and arrested the two bishops, two fathers and a brother, and seven Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Five Chinese seminarians, and eight Chinese Christians who were employed at the mission were also apprehended. In prison they were joined by one more Chinese Christian who went there voluntarily.

Four days later, on July 9, 1900, all of them were taken before the tribunal of Yu Hsien, some of them being slashed with swords on the way. Yu Hsien ordered them to be killed on the spot, and an indescribable scene followed. The soldiers closed in on the prisoners, struck them at random with their swords, wounded them right and left, cut off their arms and legs and heads. Thus died the 26 martyrs of Taiyuanfu, of whom all except three belonged to the First Order and Third Order Regular and Secular of St. Francis. They were beatified on January 3, 1943.

Five of them are Franciscans. Besides Blessed Gregory Grassi, who was 68 years old, and Blessed Francis Fogolla, there were Blessed Elias Facchini, a priest from Italy, Blessed Theodoric Balat, a priest from France, and Blessed Andrew Bauer, a lay brother from Alsace.

The seven Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the protomartyrs of their congregation and its first members to be beatified, are Blessed Mother Mary Hermine Givot from France, the superior, Blessed Mother Mary of Peace Giuliani from Italy, Blessed Mother Mary Clare Nanetti from Italy, Blessed Sister Mary of Ste. Natalie Kerguin from France, Blessed Sister Mary of St. Just Moreau from France, Blessed Sister Mary Amandine Jeuris from Belgium, and Blessed Sister Mary Adolphine Dierkx from Holland. All were between the ages of 25 and 35.

There were five Chinese seminarians, all of them Franciscan tertiaries, ages 16 through 22. There were six Tertiary laymen who had been employed at the episcopal residence and mission, ages 62 to 40. There were three laymen who were not Tertiaries, ages 29 to 46.

Fourteen of the martyrs were natives of China and 12 were Europeans.

Beatified at the same time as these martyrs and commemorated with them on this day are three other Franciscan martyrs who died as victims of the Boxers in the province of Hunan. All three were missionaries from Italy, a bishop and two priests.

ON MARTYRDOM
1. There are times when martyrdom is a sacred duty. Thus the martyrs regarded it. They testified to the words of our Savior: "What does it profit a man if her gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?" (Matt 16:26). In order to save our soul for eternity, we, too, must be ready to sacrifice blood and life rather than separate ourselves from God and our Faith. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us" (2 Tim 2:12). -- Have you always taken eternity into account?
2. Martyrdom is a great grace. Many of us shudder when we hear an account of the gruesome tortures inflicted on the martyrs, and we ask in fear, "How could they endure it?" But why should we be afraid? On the one hand, God never asks the impossible of us. On the other, when the decisive moment comes, the same good God raises the soul to such heights of love that it cries out with St. Paul: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or persecution, or the sword? But in all these things we overcome because of Him who has loved us" (Rom 8:35-37). -- No one, including yourself, has reason to become fainthearted or to despair.
3. Martyrdom beings a superabundant reward. Christ has assured us: "Greater love than this no man has than that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Therefore, making the sacrifice of our life for our best Friend, Jesus, cancels all our sins and all the guilt of sin and takes us at once to heaven. That is why the martyrs said to their torturers, in the words of the Machabees: "You indeed destroy us out of this present life; but the King of the world will raise us up to life" (2 Mac 7:9). -- Always keep eternity and the bliss of eternity in mind, and everything will be easy.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who desires that all men be saved and come to the acknowledgement of truth, grant, we beseech Thee, through the intercession of Thy blessed martyrs Bishops Gregory, Francis, and Antonine, and their companions, that all nations may know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent, our Lord. Amen.