A young Chinese laywoman of Hebei killed in the 1900 Boxer Uprising, canonized among the 120 Martyrs of China.

Saint Maria An Linghua was a young laywoman of southeastern Zhili, China, killed at Liugongying, Shenzhou, on July 11, 1900, at twenty-eight years old, during the Boxer Uprising’s persecution of Chinese Catholics. She is venerated among the 120 Martyrs of China, beatified in 1955 and canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II, one of several members of her village community who died together that summer.

Quick Facts

• Died: July 11, 1900, age 28
• Place: Liugongying, Shenzhou, Hebei, China
• Venerated as: Layperson and martyr

Who Was Saint Maria An Linghua?

Saint Maria An Linghua was a young Chinese laywoman of southeastern Zhili (Hebei province) killed at Liugongying, Shenzhou, on July 11, 1900, at twenty-eight years old, in the same wave of Boxer Uprising violence that claimed her fellow villager Maria An Guoshi on the same day and in the same place.

Historical Setting

The Boxer Uprising of 1900 struck the Catholic villages of Hebei’s Southeastern Zhili district with particular ferocity, as local militias, often acting with the support or acquiescence of regional authorities, moved from community to community killing Christians who refused to renounce their faith. Liugongying was one of several villages where multiple members of the local Catholic community died within the same days.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Maria An Linghua

Maria is remembered as one of the young laypeople of Hebei who gave their lives in 1900 rather than abandon the faith of their families and village, joining the large company of Chinese martyrs from Southeastern Zhili canonized together at the start of the new millennium.

Canonization and Feast Day

The production register records Maria’s beatification in 1955 and canonization in 2000, when Pope John Paul II canonized her among the 120 Martyrs of China.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

Maria’s youth at the time of her martyrdom is a reminder that the courage to remain faithful under threat is not a virtue reserved for the old or the experienced — it can be, and has been, asked of the young as well.

A Prayer to Saint Maria An Linghua

Saint Maria An Linghua, young martyr of Hebei, pray for young Catholics everywhere who are tested in their faith, that they may find your courage. Amen.

Sources

• Vatican.va (canonization of the 120 Martyrs of China, 2000)
• The Roman Martyrology