By CAROLE BRESLIN
In 1748, the Viceroy of Peking with great frustration asked, “What are we to do with these men? Their lives are certainly irreproachable. . . . Their jailers and their families become their disciples and embrace their religion. To prolong this state is only to give them the opportunity of increasing the number of Christians.”
Thus Peter Sanz and his companions — Fathers Joachim Royo, John Alcober, Francis Diaz, and Francis Serrano — became the first martyrs in Fo-kien China.
St. Peter Sanz was born on September 22, 1680 in the Catalan region of Spain. His uncle, an ecclesiastic of the Cathedral of Lerida, monitored his education before Peter entered the Dominican order. He professed his religious vows in 1697 in Lerida and was ordained a priest on September 22, 1704.
During the Siege of Lerida, he proved his apostolic zeal when he acted as chaplain to the great number of wounded. Searching the streets for them, he administered the Last Rites and consoled them as they entered eternity. He was so intent on caring for the suffering that he frequently forgot to sleep and eat.
His plan to serve in the missions in China developed as he served these souls, so he applied to go to the Philippines. As he went to Cadiz to board a boat for the East, he fell ill and the doctors told him to cancel his trip, but he refused.
After 13 months, he arrived in Manila, having done his best to convert all the sailors on his ship. He disembarked and went to the convent church where he prayed before Our Lady of the Rosary. This special prayer and thanksgiving edified Fr. Sanz to fearlessly pursue his quest to China.
He spent the next 22 months learning the language before leaving for Fo-kien. He arrived in Fo- kien on June 29, 1715. His remarkable zeal, virtuous life, and love of God sustained him for more than 31 years. He labored for the salvation of souls with piety and patience, with firmness and prudence.
After his first 15 years, he was consecrated bishop. Soon he believed that he should not have accepted the assignment when a new wave of persecutions broke out in 1729. For six years he lived in exile in Canton, China. When he returned to Fo-kien, his suffering reaped the reward of many conversions. His success was so great that the Chinese authorities arrested him and tortured him, eventually beheading him on May 26, 1747.
St. Francis Serrano was born in Granada in 1695. After a faithful Catholic upbringing, he entered the Convent of Granada and in 1709 made his profession of vows. His life at the convent showed that he had a brilliant mind and possessed uncommon virtue for one so young. As a result, his superiors appointed him lecturer in the arts and many of his students became ardent followers of his example.
Francis Serrano also longed to serve the missions in China, so he too made his way to the Philippines, arriving in 1727. He left the same year for China. His youth and thirst for souls drove him to spend long hours instructing the people in Christian doctrine and hearing Confessions throughout the night.
His virtuous life and his holiness were recognized by Christians and pagans, who called him a true servant of God. When someone in need called for his assistance, there was nothing that would keep him away. It was not unusual that men would carry him like a sack of meat and tell the authorities that they were on their way to the butcher. He worked tirelessly: As Fr. Alcober wrote in 1743, “Fr. Serrano is nothing but skin and bones; he is all the lighter for scaling walls.”
Fr. Serrano would hide in caverns used as burial grounds or would submerge himself in pools of water to escape arrest. He embraced this suffering as a means of reaching more souls. This laid the foundation for his ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom.
When Bishop Sanz was beheaded, Fr. Serrano was appointed his successor, while he was in prison. When the Chinese heard of the election, they strangled him in October 1748.
St. John Alcober was born in Granada on December 21, 1694. Before he was five years old, his mother clothed him in the colors of St. Dominic, instilling in him a great piety and love for God before she died. His main focus as a young boy was to serve Mass. Afterward he would sit with this father and repeat the sermons and the catechetical instructions he had learned.
His exposure to the ardent zeal of the Dominican fathers led him to beg for admission to their novitiate. Finally, they accepted him, when he turned 15 years old, at the Convent of the Holy Cross. He made his profession when he was 16.
For the next eight years he studied diligently and met Fr. Serrano. Shortly after his Ordination, he left for Cadiz to sail to the Philippines, but the King issued an edict forbidding religious on the ships. He returned to Granada where his family and friends begged him to stay in Spain, which drove him to move to the Convent of Lorca.
His preaching in Lorca moved people so successfully that his yearning to be a missionary cooled. Then, during a Lenten sermon, he exclaimed, “How long, ye sinners, will you remain hardened?” He stopped in the middle of his sermon and left the pulpit weeping, telling his fellow Dominicans later that he heard the crucifix speak to him, “And thou, John — how long?”
With the ban lifted, he sailed for Manila arriving on June 29, 1726. In November he left for China. Like Fr. Serrano, Fr. John had to use innovative ways to minister to the growing Catholic community. He almost suffocated while hiding in a coffin and became feverish after hiding in a cubicle where he could hardly move for 49 days.
One night he climbed a tree to hide. Feeling near death, he began reciting the Te Deum and was surprised to hear someone answer. It was Fr. Serrano who was also hiding! The reunion edified both men and Fr. Alcober continued to serve the Chinese disguised as a water carrier.
He wrote home in 1745, “Two of our companions have already been made prisoners and condemned to exile. It will be our turn soon.” He was strangled in jail on October 1748.
St. Joachim Royo was born in 1691 and entered the Dominican convent of Valencia where the superior called him the “precious pearl.” After his repeated entreaties, he was sent to the Chinese missions in 1712. He was ordained in China and also lived with great risk to serve the Catholics in China. Despite his hardships, he remained cheerful and serene, dying with his companions in October 1748.
St. Francis Diaz born in 1713 entered the Dominican Convent of Ecija, Spain. He arrived in China in 1738 and labored for eight years in Fo-kien before his capture. He, too, suffered enormously telling his fellow Chinese that sufferings are nothing compared to the joys of eternity. He also was killed in October 1748.
These saints are included among a group of 120 known collectively as the “Martyr Saints of China,” who were canonized on October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. The group was given the feast day of July 9.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
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