Today the Church in China (especifically that of the Fujian Ecclesiastical Province) celebrate the memoria of the 4 martyrs of the faith who gave their lives for Christ in the city of Fuzhou in 1748. The celebrated case so intimately related to the martyrdom of St. Peter MArtyr Sanz who gave his life a year earlier was a cause celebre in thge whole of Christendom and a great consolation to the Order of Preachers.
The Province kepts their memory on June 3 together with ST. PETER MARTYR SANZ though a recent change in the Dominican Proper has placed all the Dominican martyrs of China on 15 January under the title of ST FRANCIS FERNANDEZ CAPILLAS AND COMPANION MARTYRS OF CHINA
Here are excerpts of the biographical entry from the Dominican Sacramentary proper of the Province of the Holy Rosary as well as the entry from their proper office.
Saint Francis Serrano Frias (1695-1748) He was the son of the Royal Convent of the Holy Cross in Granada. In 1725 he volunteered to do mission work in the Far East and was sent to the Philippines and in 1738 he was assigned to the China mission. He was arrested in 1746. While in prison, he received his appointment as Vicar Apostolic but was not able to be consecrated. He died of asphyxia and his remains were burned.
Saint Juan Alcober Figuera (1694-1748) A native of Granada, he was born on 21 December, 1694. He was a son of the Royal Convent of Santa Cruz in Granada. He presented himself for the missions in the Far East and petitioned to join the Province of the Rosary. He departed for Manila in 1725. In 1741 he was appointed Vicar Provincial of the mission in China. Arrested in 1746 he was martyred by strangulation and his body was cremated on 28 October, 1748.
Saint Joaquin Royo Perez (1691-1748) He was born in Hinojosa (Teruel) on September of 1691, He was the son of the Convent of the Pillar, and later of the Preachers in the city of Valencia. While he was still a student brother, he left for Manila in 1712 and in 1715 entered China. He was arrested in 1746, and like his other companions, suffered unbearable tortures and arduous interrogations, and died by asphyxia. His remains were also burned on 28 October, 1748.
Saint Francis Díaz de Rincon (1713-1748) He was born in Sevilla on 2 October, 1713. He was the son of the Convent in Ecija. Ordained in Manila he was assigned as a missionary in China in 1738. Weak in constitution, he bore all difficulties with patience. As he was reassigned to the Philippines and awaiting departure, he was arrested in 1746 and after great suffering, he was martyred by strangulation; his body was also burned on 28 October, 1748.
Saint Juan Alcober Figuera (1694-1748) A native of Granada, he was born on 21 December, 1694. He was a son of the Royal Convent of Santa Cruz in Granada. He presented himself for the missions in the Far East and petitioned to join the Province of the Rosary. He departed for Manila in 1725. In 1741 he was appointed Vicar Provincial of the mission in China. Arrested in 1746 he was martyred by strangulation and his body was cremated on 28 October, 1748.
Saint Joaquin Royo Perez (1691-1748) He was born in Hinojosa (Teruel) on September of 1691, He was the son of the Convent of the Pillar, and later of the Preachers in the city of Valencia. While he was still a student brother, he left for Manila in 1712 and in 1715 entered China. He was arrested in 1746, and like his other companions, suffered unbearable tortures and arduous interrogations, and died by asphyxia. His remains were also burned on 28 October, 1748.
Saint Francis Díaz de Rincon (1713-1748) He was born in Sevilla on 2 October, 1713. He was the son of the Convent in Ecija. Ordained in Manila he was assigned as a missionary in China in 1738. Weak in constitution, he bore all difficulties with patience. As he was reassigned to the Philippines and awaiting departure, he was arrested in 1746 and after great suffering, he was martyred by strangulation; his body was also burned on 28 October, 1748.
From the Report of martyrdom of the Venerable Fathers Francis Serrano, John Alcober, Joachim Royo and Francis Diaz.
We are greatly happy to die
They re-examined the case in previous year of 1748, and gave as an ultimate resolution that within that year the sentence of beheading be complied. But the emperor decided to leave it for the following year. This seemed to be too long for the viceroy of Fujian, named Coc. Later the news of the Emperor’s decision reached them and he convoked in his palace various officials, the Criminal Judge, the Magistrate and other from the towns of Heu-Kuon and Ming-Hien. He proposed to them that he intended to suffocated the four Europeans secretly and burn their cadavers, and to report to the emperor than they died due to sickness. The officials easily connived with the Viceroy without any difficulty, and with much secret gave orders that at 6 in the afternoon of the 28 of October, of the said year, the executioners would prepare ropes, coffins and enough firewood.
At nine in the evening the ministers entered the prison of the Magistrate, they took of its prison the illustrious and Reverend Lord Brother Francis Serrano, and placed him on an empty room. Later he found out the reason his transfer and the coming of the guards; and joyous in the Lord, he wished to end his life exercising the apostolic ministry of the Divine Word. Thus he persuaded those present to embrace the law of the gospel, the ministers stretched him on the floor and tied his hands and feet did not interrupt his preaching. After making all these preparations, they threw a knot around his neck where two executioners, pulling from one end to another left him cruelly suffocated.
At nine in the same night with the pretext of visiting the prison, the executioners of the Criminal Judge arrived where Fr. Vicar Provincial, Brother Juan Alcober, and his companion, Brother Francisco Diaz where. The ministers came with the same fury as the executioners who arrested them, thus they knew that they are going to be killed but they were told to stop by saying to them:: «We are greatly happy to die, but permit us first to give thanks to God and to adore Him, and later you can do whatever you wished to do on us». The ministers condescended to the petition of the so Christian a petition, and later after a brief moment, they stretched the venerable Father Juan Alcober on the floor, tying the feet and the hands, they killed him with a knot; they also did the same with the venerable and illustrious Lord Serrano. Afterwards they also did the same with the venerable Father Francisco Diaz, whose lips, like those of Father Alcober, did not cease to exhort those present while they were stretching and tying them to join the Christian religion. An hour after their martyrdom, their faces appeared to be beautified with joyful and smiling countenance, in such a way that those who saw their cadavers, their beauty caused their admiration since they seem to be alive.
At the same hour, the Ming Hien prison where the venerable Father Joachim Royo was imprisoned, was filled with guards. Imitating his companions, when he was told of the intentions of these men, he began to exhort them to follow the true religion. They did not follow the cruel method they did with the previous ones. They stretched the venerable priest on the floor and after tying his feet and hands, they covered his eyes, mouth, nose and ears with rags and paper soaked with cheap brandy and throwing a sack on them with about 14 pounds of lime, to suffocate him, so that (as it is piously believed) so that he could be find relief in the (eternal) homeland.
We are greatly happy to die
They re-examined the case in previous year of 1748, and gave as an ultimate resolution that within that year the sentence of beheading be complied. But the emperor decided to leave it for the following year. This seemed to be too long for the viceroy of Fujian, named Coc. Later the news of the Emperor’s decision reached them and he convoked in his palace various officials, the Criminal Judge, the Magistrate and other from the towns of Heu-Kuon and Ming-Hien. He proposed to them that he intended to suffocated the four Europeans secretly and burn their cadavers, and to report to the emperor than they died due to sickness. The officials easily connived with the Viceroy without any difficulty, and with much secret gave orders that at 6 in the afternoon of the 28 of October, of the said year, the executioners would prepare ropes, coffins and enough firewood.
At nine in the evening the ministers entered the prison of the Magistrate, they took of its prison the illustrious and Reverend Lord Brother Francis Serrano, and placed him on an empty room. Later he found out the reason his transfer and the coming of the guards; and joyous in the Lord, he wished to end his life exercising the apostolic ministry of the Divine Word. Thus he persuaded those present to embrace the law of the gospel, the ministers stretched him on the floor and tied his hands and feet did not interrupt his preaching. After making all these preparations, they threw a knot around his neck where two executioners, pulling from one end to another left him cruelly suffocated.
At nine in the same night with the pretext of visiting the prison, the executioners of the Criminal Judge arrived where Fr. Vicar Provincial, Brother Juan Alcober, and his companion, Brother Francisco Diaz where. The ministers came with the same fury as the executioners who arrested them, thus they knew that they are going to be killed but they were told to stop by saying to them:: «We are greatly happy to die, but permit us first to give thanks to God and to adore Him, and later you can do whatever you wished to do on us». The ministers condescended to the petition of the so Christian a petition, and later after a brief moment, they stretched the venerable Father Juan Alcober on the floor, tying the feet and the hands, they killed him with a knot; they also did the same with the venerable and illustrious Lord Serrano. Afterwards they also did the same with the venerable Father Francisco Diaz, whose lips, like those of Father Alcober, did not cease to exhort those present while they were stretching and tying them to join the Christian religion. An hour after their martyrdom, their faces appeared to be beautified with joyful and smiling countenance, in such a way that those who saw their cadavers, their beauty caused their admiration since they seem to be alive.
At the same hour, the Ming Hien prison where the venerable Father Joachim Royo was imprisoned, was filled with guards. Imitating his companions, when he was told of the intentions of these men, he began to exhort them to follow the true religion. They did not follow the cruel method they did with the previous ones. They stretched the venerable priest on the floor and after tying his feet and hands, they covered his eyes, mouth, nose and ears with rags and paper soaked with cheap brandy and throwing a sack on them with about 14 pounds of lime, to suffocate him, so that (as it is piously believed) so that he could be find relief in the (eternal) homeland.
No comments:
Post a Comment