They died in their church

2,000 burnt, shot or suffocated
TTERE ic a photograph of four Chinese girls who died as martyrs for the Faith. The death was as heroic and as painful perhaps as that of any martyrs in the long story of persecution.
On Low Sunday, April 17. they will be beatified, and M the early evening the Holy Father, with Cardinals. Bishops, priests and a great gathering of the faithful will go to St. Peter's to venerate them.
But they will not be the youngest to he beatified that day. Eight young children died on that terrible and glorious day, July 20, 1900. when, during the Boxer rebellion, two missionary priests and more than 2,000 Chinese Christians were shot or burned or suffocated to death In their church in Tchou-kai-ho, where they had taken refuge.
Altogether, 56 will be beatified. Most of them died on that July 20.
Thousands of Christians, indeed. in many parts .of China were slain during the rebellion.
There were 5.000 victims in the vicariate then called South-east Teheli, entrusted to the French Jesuits—a vicariate which corresponds to the modern province of Hopeh.
Shielded priest
At the head of the list of 56 to be beatified are two priests, Fr. Ignatius Mangin and Fr. Paul Denn, who died before the altar of their church in Tchou-kai-ho.
Fr. Mangin, born on July 30, 1857, at Verny, was the son of an Army General. Fr. Dean, horn in 1847 in Lille—a man of lively temperament—was the, head of the Koutcheng mission.
Prominent in the list of the martyrs immolated in that church in Tchou-kai-ho stands the name of Maria Tchou-Ou-Chou. wife of the village administrator. who had died shortly before in defence of the village.
Maria Tchou-Ou-Chou was shot to death while trying to shield Fr. Mangln with her body—a martyr
: of charity as well as of faith.
Before the altar
A month previously, on June '19, 1900, two other priests were united in martyrdom: Fr. Remu Isore, aged 48, from northern France, and Fr. Modeste Andlauer, an Alsatian. He was the head of the mission of Ou-Y, where Fr. bore came to visit him. on June 18 before returning to his own station, Tchao-Kal-tchoang.
On that day, however, the armed Boxers surrounded the priests' house. They forced an entrance on the following day. The two missionaries went to the chapel and there. kneeling before the altar, where that very morning they had offered Mass, they were put to death by sword and lance. Among the 56 are 17 men,
eight children. four boys. 16 married women and 11 girls.
Three of the victims were still catechumens: their baptism was In their own blood.
In the title of the Beatification Cause. two are mentioned as representatives of the two seses: Peter Tehou-Jou-Sinn, not yet 20, and Anna Wang, scarcely 14.
ti RI CI Wang Peter Tchou, a student at Fr. Mangirds school, was arrested the day after the slaughter of Tehoukia-ho. His pleasant appearance and bearing won the favour of General Tchenn. who tried by threats and flattery to bring him to apostatise, promising every favour if the young man would do so.
Peter answered: "Just as you, General, cannot deny the father and mother who gave you life, neither can I deny my Creator."
He was decapitated.
Anna Naring, a child, has been called a St. Agnes of China.
In her village school at MaKia-Tchoang. her voice led the community prayers.
Arrested with several other Christians, she encouraged all to persevere in the faith, though she was the youngest of the group. Her constancy was unwavering in spite of attempts. even by her step-mother, to make her apostatise.
Before she was killed by the sword—the last of the group to die—she knelt and prayed in a loud voice, mull turned in the direction of the tabernacle of the neighbouring village.
Anna's Iasi words were: " The gates Of Heaven are open. Jesus, Jesus."
Her body, thrown into a trench, Was found 15 months
later, incorrupt. It was solemnly buried in her native village, Ma-Kia-Tchoang.
Another of the martyrs was Barbara Tsoei-Lien-Chou, mother of two priests.
Another was the catechist and teacher Marla Fou, who kept repeating the name of Jesus until H Boxer. exusperated, stabbed her with his sword.
Mother and Son
Another was ,the old catechist and doctor. Joseph Ma-TienChounn, who declared that he willingly died for God. though the other members of his family had denied the faith during the persecution.
Another was John Baptist Tchou. aged 17, who made the noble confession: °Even if I have to die, I remain for ever a Christian."
And then there were the widow Elisabeth Talon and her 14-yearold son. Simon, who. by praying and fasting, spent seven days in preparation for their longed-for martyrdom.