August Chapdelaine

Born on February 6, 1814, in La Rochelle-Normande (Manche), Auguste Chapdelaine was ordained a priest in 1843. After serving as a curate, he joined the Paris Foreign Missions Society in 1851. He departed for China in 1852, working in Guangxi province. In February 1856, he was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured with extreme cruelty by local authorities during a period of anti-Christian persecution. He died on February 29, 1856, from his wounds, faithfully clinging to his faith. He was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000, among the 120 Martyrs of China.