Today is the Feast of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and 120 Companions. Saint Augustine was the first Chinese diocesan priest, who lived from 1746 to 1815. A former imperial soldier, he converted after escorting a Catholic missionary to his death and was later ordained a priest. Saint Augustine died in prison from torture during the 1815 religious persecutions. Deacon Joseph Jong, a native of Taiwan and permanent deacon at Saint Mary Cathedral in Lansing, now explains the significance of today's saint. Deacon Jong writes:
Young Zhao Rong conducted a debauched life an would never have thought he would be converted to be a Christian during his soldier’s duty of transporting a French Bishop Gabriel-Taurin Dufresse to be martyred. The conversion started with the impression of kindness, peaceful demeanor and love from Bishop Dufresse. Kindness and love are immutable.
As a priest in the prison, Augustine Zhao Rong refused the opportunity to be freed by denouncing his Christian faith. Like many other martyrs, once knowing Christ’s truth & love, they never give up their faith. God’s truth & love are unchallengeable.
In the time between 1648 and 1930, there were tens of thousands of martyrs in China including foreign ministers, Chinese-born clergies and lay people; Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was the first Chinese-born priest being martyred. 120 Companions is merely a representative number.
These martyrs in China are like a roaring lion proclaiming the Gospel, spreading the faith seeds in the land, presenting God’s truth and love to the eyes of the world.
Saint Augustine Zhao and companions, pray for us!