Project Xavier

In July of 1900, Zhujiahe was a small village in Hebei with roughly 300 Catholics making up its population. By mid-July, 3,000 more Catholics had flooded into the town seeking refuge during the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxers, however, followed them there, killing the men who were trying to defend the village. Over one thousand women and children crowded into the church during the battle to pray and wait. Inside the church, French missionary priests Sts. Leo Mangin and Paul Denn, stood at the altar leading the people in prayer and offering absolution. When the Boxers broke into the church, the opened fire on everyone inside. St. Mary Zhu Wu stood up in front of the priests to take the bullets that were aimed at them. After shooting many in the church, they locked the doors and set it on fire. St. Mary’s son,  St. Peter Zhu Rixin had escaped the village with 51 others, but they were soon captured. The 51 were asked to renounce their faith to save their lives. Two of them did; the other 49 were killed. St. Peter was 19 years old.