Who Was Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca?

Saints

A Dutch Franciscan Missionary of Mary killed in the 1900 Taiyuan Massacre during the Boxer Uprising in China.

Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca was a Dutch sister of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary killed at Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China, on July 9, 1900, at thirty-four years old, in the Taiyuan Massacre. She is venerated among the 120 Martyrs of China, beatified in 1946 and canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II, one of the international community of sisters who died together that day.

No known portrait of Saint Marie Adolphine Judoca
No portrait or image of Saint Marie Adolphine Judoca is known to survive; this icon marks pages without an identifiable image.

Quick Facts

  • Born: c. 1866
  • Died: July 9, 1900, age 34
  • Place: Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
  • Venerated as: Religious, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, martyr

Who Was Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca?

Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca was a Dutch religious sister of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary killed at Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China, on July 9, 1900, at thirty-four years old, in the Taiyuan Massacre, one of the deadliest single episodes of the Boxer Uprising.

Historical Setting

The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary had gathered sisters from several European countries, including the Netherlands, to serve their mission in Shanxi province in the years before 1900. On July 9, the provincial governor Yuxian ordered the mass execution of a large group of these missionaries together with the two Italian Franciscan bishops they served alongside, at Taiyuan.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca

Marie-Adolphine is remembered as one of the international company of Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who died together at Taiyuan, sisters drawn from across Europe who had answered a common call to serve the Church’s mission in China and gave their lives there as one community.

Canonization and Feast Day

The production register records Marie-Adolphine’s beatification in 1946 and canonization in 2000, when Pope John Paul II canonized her among the 120 Martyrs of China.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

Marie-Adolphine’s international missionary vocation, bringing her from the Netherlands to a remote Chinese province, reflects how the call to serve the Church’s mission has always drawn believers across great distances of language and culture, united in a single purpose.

A Prayer to Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca

Saint Marie-Adolphine Judoca, missionary martyr of Taiyuan, pray for missionaries from every nation who answer the call to serve far from home. Amen.

Sources

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