Saint

Mark Ji Tianxiang
馬克冀天祥
Martyr
Born1834
Jizhou District, Hengshui, Hebei, China
Died7 July 1900(1900-07-07) (aged 65–66)
Jizhou District, Hengshui, Hebei, China
Venerated inCatholic Church
Beatified24 November 1946, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope Pius XII
Canonized1 October 2000, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Feast7 July
PatronageDrug Addicts

Mark Ji Tianxiang was a Chinese lay Catholic and doctor. He was martyred during the Boxer Rebellion and had been an opium addict.[1][2] He was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Early life and career

Ji was born in Jizhou District, Hengshui, Zhili (now Hebei), China in 1834. He was a doctor and contracted a disease himself for the treatment of which he used opium, but instead of opium being a cure for him, he became heavily addicted to it. He was a pious Christian, always going to confession and mostly spending time in prayer, attending Mass, and providing free treatment to his patients. He made frequent confessions, but he was denied absolution and holy communion because the parish priest thought he lacked sorrow for his addiction since he couldn't overcome it. He didn't receive the sacrament for 30 years, but finally after 30 years of being a faithful and regular church goer, he was able to receive the sacraments.[5][1][2][7][8]

Martyrdom

On 7 July 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, Ji and 119 other Christians were rounded up and asked to renounce Christianity, but they refused. Ji begged the rebels to kill him last so that he could encourage his family to die as martyrs and they wouldn't have to die alone. He didn't renounce his Catholic faith and hence was beheaded.[1][8][2][7][5]

Canonization

Mark Ji Tianxiang was beatified on 24 November 1946 by Pope Pius XII along with 120 other Chinese martyrs, including Augustine Zhao Rong, and canonized by Pope John Paul II on 1 October 2000.[7][5][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c "St. Mark Ji Tianxiang". Life Site Ministries LLC. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  2. ^ a b c gonzagagirl (2018-09-10). "Saint of the Month: St. Mark Ji Tianxiang". Catholic & Chronically Awesome. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  3. ^ Blanchard, Gabriel (2016-09-17). "Mudblood Catholic: A Reflection on St Mark Ji Tianxiang". Mudblood Catholic. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  4. ^ "Addict, Martyr, and Saint". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  5. ^ a b c d "About Us > Our Patron Saint". Intercessory Counseling and Wellness. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  6. ^ Manney, Jim (2011-09-22). "This Addict Is a Saint". Ignatian Spirituality. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  7. ^ a b c d Dee, Cathy (2019-10-24). "The life of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang: Persevering in faith despite addiction". Our Sunday Visitor. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  8. ^ a b c "Jul 9 – St Mark Ji Tianxiang (1834-1900), Husband, Father, Grandfather, Doctor, Martyr, Opium addict, Intercessor for addicts, patron against despair, patron of the opiate crisis | ADULT CATECHESIS & CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LITERACY IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC TRADITION: Contemplata aliis tradere, Caritas suprema lex, or "How to think Catholic!!"". Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  9. ^ "He was an opium addict who couldn't receive the sacraments. But he's a martyr and a saint". Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
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