Anne-Françoise Moreau was a French nun belonging to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Born in 1866 in Rouans, she traveled to China in 1899 as part of a group of seven sisters. They arrived in Taiyuan to support an orphanage that provided care for 200 children. Her missionary work ended abruptly during the Boxer Rebellion, when she was killed in Taiyuan on July 9, 1900, alongside other religious figures and lay workers.
Life and death
In 1899, Moreau joined a mission led by Marie-Hermine of Jesus to assist at a Chinese orphanage. During the Boxer Rebellion, local Christians were forced to choose between renouncing their faith or facing death. On July 9, 1900, she was killed during the Taiyuan massacre, an event where many priests, nuns, and lay workers lost their lives.
Veneration
She is recognized as one of the 120 Martyrs of China. Following her death, she was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1946. She was later canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000. Her feast day is observed annually on July 9.