Sts. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and Companions, Chinese Martyrs

St. Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred in 1815. He is remembered as one of the 120 martyrs of China, who were beatified in 1909 and canonized in 2000. Zhao Rong was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured for his Christian faith. Along with 119 other Christians, he was executed for refusing to renounce his beliefs. The Chinese Martyrs are venerated for their courageous witness to the Gospel in the face of persecution. They are the patron saints of China.