St. Augustin Zhao Rong and Peter Sans and Jordan

BIOGRAPHY

These martyrs include the previous Francis Fernandez de Capillas, including four Dominican missionaries, with introductory information to the entire group of 120 martyrs.

The others are listed in the subsequent five sections of the ( order 4-8). They were all canonized together 1. 10. 2000.

Priest Augustin Zhao Rong was martyred on 21. 3. 1815.

Petr Sans and Jordán were martyred 26. 5. 1747. He was born on 1. 9. 1680 in Asco, Spain, and was given the name Joseph at his baptism. At the age of 17, he joined the Dominican Order and took the name Peter. After his priestly ordination in 1704, he worked for 4 years in the monastery in Zaragoza. At the age of 32, he applied to go to Far East missions. Together with his brother Jáchym Royo, they traveled to the Philippines in 1712. At the stop in Hospice St. Gabriela in Manila, Petr Sans learned Chinese and became familiar with the local mentality. Then his place of work was the province of Fu-tien, where he tried to restore and expand the third order of St. Dominic. In time, he gathered around him 70 laymen who participated in missionary activities.

Petr Sanz gained respect and recognition among the natives. In 1716 he became deputy provincial and was put in charge of all missionaries in the area.

In China, after the death of Emperor Kangxi, who did not defend the Christian religion, persecution of Catholic religious practitioners broke out in Fujian Province in 1723. At that difficult time, Petr Sanz was promoted to auxiliary bishop with the right of succession. After his ordination, however, he had to retreat to Macau with other missionaries, but already in 1738 he returned to Fu-tien and renewed communion, encouraged with the word of God, administered the sacraments, and helped the poor. At the same time, he still had to hide. Presented in the Philippines, he pleaded for help in ensuring the education of indigenous young priests, whose movement would not be so difficult in China.

Despite all caution, Bishop Peter was arrested and imprisoned in 1746. Other Dominican priests were imprisoned with him: Francis Serrano, Jáchym Royo, Jan Alcober, and Francis Díaz del Rincón. More laymen who helped them also went to prison with them. The trial began on the 22nd. On the 11th, and after six months, he was sentenced to death in Beijing and executed on the 26th. 5. 1748. Other Dominican fellow prisoners waited until October 28 to die by suffocation. The redeemed remains of the martyrs were taken to the Philippines and placed in St. John’s Church. Dominica in Manila.

He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 6.1.1893 and canonized (the community of 120 martyrs murdered in China) on 1.10.2000 by Pope John Paul II.