Mary Zhao was a Chinese Catholic laywoman born in Hebei in 1883. During the Boxer Rebellion, she faced intense persecution for her religious convictions. In July 1900, she attempted to hide in a well alongside her mother and sister to escape the insurgents. After being discovered, she refused to renounce her faith. For her steadfastness, she was taken to a cemetery and killed by the rebels, becoming a martyr for her community.
Life and death
Born in the village of Zhaojia, Mary lived during a period of significant unrest in China. As the Boxer Rebellion intensified between 1899 and 1900, many local Christians were targeted. Mary, her mother, and her sister, Rose, sought refuge in a well to avoid the violence. When the Boxers found them, they demanded that the women abandon Christianity, but Mary remained loyal to her beliefs until her execution.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognizes her as a saint. She was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1955 and later canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000. She was honored alongside 120 other Chinese martyrs. Within the Catholic tradition, her feast day is observed on July 9.