Who Was Saint Maria Zhao?

Saints

A sixteen-year-old Chinese girl killed at Zhaojia, Hebei, in 1900, canonized among the 120 Martyrs of China.

Saint Maria Zhao was a Chinese girl of southeastern Zhili, sixteen years old, killed at Zhaojia, Wuqiao, in July 1900, during the Boxer Uprising’s persecution of Catholic villages in Hebei. She is venerated among the 120 Martyrs of China, beatified in 1955 and canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

No known portrait of Saint Maria Zhao
No portrait or image of Saint Maria Zhao is known to survive; this icon marks pages without an identifiable image.

Quick Facts

  • Died: July 1900, age 16
  • Place: Zhaojia, Wuqiao, Hebei, China
  • Venerated as: Layperson and martyr

Who Was Saint Maria Zhao?

Saint Maria Zhao was a Chinese teenager of southeastern Zhili (Hebei province), sixteen years old, killed at Zhaojia, Wuqiao, in July 1900, during the Boxer Uprising’s persecution of Catholic villages in that district.

Historical Setting

Wuqiao county’s Catholic villages, including Zhaojia, suffered repeated attacks during the summer of 1900 as the Boxer movement moved through Southeastern Zhili, and multiple members of some families and villages, sharing a surname as Maria did with several other martyrs from the same area, died within the same campaign of violence.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Maria Zhao

Maria is remembered as one of the young people of Wuqiao’s Catholic community who did not survive the summer of 1900, joining the large company of Hebei martyrs whose combined witness the Church has honored together.

Canonization and Feast Day

Available records show 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 death as a teenager in her own village community is a reminder that persecution in 1900 touched entire families, sometimes sharing the same surname and same fate, united in both their faith and their sacrifice.

A Prayer to Saint Maria Zhao

Saint Maria Zhao, young martyr of Hebei, pray for the young people of the Church who face trials in their families and communities. Amen.

Sources

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