“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Romans 12:1
“ 獻上你們的⾝體當作⽣活、聖潔和悅樂天主的祭品：這纔是你們合理的敬禮。”
羅⾺書 12:1
St. Mary of Peace and St. Mary Clare
Marianna Giuliani was born on December 13 1875 to a poor family in Aquila, Italy. Her father did not tolerate any religious practice and would easily go into a rage. Her mother was very devout and taught her and her siblings to love God and honor Our Lady. When she was ten years old, her mother died and her father abandoned the family. Having pity on them, they were adopted by another family. A few years later, her uncle directed her toward religious life with the Franciscan Sisters of Mary. She was accepted as a “probationer” by the Superior, Sr. Mary of the Passion. She went to France and completed her studies. She entered the novitiate in 1892 and took the name Maria della Pace (Mary of Peace). In the French city of Vanves, St. Maria della Pace professed her First Vows. Shortly after, she was sent to Austria to found a new religious community where she learned a new language and was exposed to a different culture.All this prepared her to go to a farther away land where the language and customs were even more different than she experienced.
In 1899, Sr. Maria della Pace and six other Sisters boarded a boat that took them to China. They arrived on May 4 and was given the task of establishing an orphanage in the city of Taiyuan under Bishop Gregory Grassi. She had a beautiful voice and so was also charged with the responsibility of organizing the music for the community. She was the youngest of the Sisters and served as the assistant to the Mother Superior, Sr. Marie-Hermine of Jesus (St. Mary Hermina of Jesus).
Clelia Nanetti was born on January 9, 1872 in Santa Maria Maddalena, the province of Rovigo,Italy. She was a very intelligent child but only had an elementary education. Her desire to offer her life to Christ came at an early age. At eighteen, she asked her parents’ permission to enter religious life. Thinking that it was just a fleeting desire of a young girl, they didn’t agree. For the next two years, Clelia experienced many sufferings, bitterness and despair. However, the zeal to spread the gospel became even stronger within her. She came to know the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary through her brother Barnabe, a Francsican, who encouraged her. On January 24, 1892, she entered postulancy and in April began her novitiate taking the name Maria Chiara (Mary Clare). She was a true missionary: always full of joy and often a bit too hasty, but was always willing to sacrifice for others.
In 1899, she, along with a group of six other Sisters arrived in Taiyuan, China to set up an orphanage and a small hospital. She immersed herself in the Chinese language and culture to better serve villagers. From the moment of their arrival, their efforts centered on caring for these orphans, providing medical aid to the sick and poor, and offering basic education and religious instruction to foster spiritual growth among the children and converts. As part of the group’s efforts, the sisters contributed to teaching catechism to the orphans and local Chinese women, helping to instill Christian teachings amid a challenging environment.
During that time, a group of people, originating from the provinces of Shandong and Zhili,comprised of martial arts practioners and secret societies, and calling themselves Yihetuan (Boxers), rose up in oppostion to Western influences, including foreign missionaries and their converts. Governor Yuxian, a Manchu official actively encouraged the Boxers to fight against foreign encroachment. Yuxian, previously involved in promoting the movement in Shandong, issued proclamations portraying Boxers as patriotic defenders and offering rewards for killing foreigners. The group looted churches and terrorized converts.
On July 5, 1900, amid escalating violence during the Boxer Rebellion, a mob of Boxers, supported by local officials, raided the Catholic mission in Taiyuan. They apprehended six Franciscan friars, seven Franciscan Missionary Sisters and fourteen Chinese Catholics (five seminarians and nine laypeople), twenty-six in all. They were held under guard four four days in which they celebrated the Eucharist daily and exchanged final farewells. They were offered their freedom in exchange of denying their Catholic faith, which they vehemently refused.
On July 9, 1900, the prisoners were stripped to the waist, bound together and marched through jeering crowds to the Shanxi governor’s administrative office to undergo a mock trial presided over by Governor Yuxian. They were condemned to death and the soldiers executed them on the spot by beheading. The Sisters were the last to be martyred, being forced to witness There were eyewitness accounts of them hugging each other and singing Te Deum, a hymn of thanksgiving. Their severed heads were publicly displayed while their bodies were thrown over the city walls to be eaten by the wild animals roaming about.
The lives of St. Mary of Peace and St. Mary Clare remind us that holiness is often formed through ordinary acts of faithfulness long before it is tested in extraordinary ways. Both women experienced hardship from an early age. Mary of Peace knew the pain of losing her mother and being abandoned by her father, while Mary Clare endured the disappointment of having her desire for religious life delayed. Yet neither allowed suffering to harden their hearts or weaken their trust in God. Instead, they responded with hope, perseverance, and a deep desire to serve others.
They crossed continents, learned new languages, embraced an unfamiliar culture, and dedicated themselves to caring for orphaned children, the sick, and the poor in China. They understood that following Christ meant going wherever they were needed, even when the path was difficult and uncertain.
Their final witness of courage was not a sudden act of heroism but the fruit of years of prayer, sacrifice, and daily commitment to God.
The image of the Sisters embracing one another and singing the Te Deum, as they faced death is a powerful testimony that their faith was stronger than fear. They praised God not because their suffering was easy, but because they trusted that His love was greater than death.
Their story challenges us to examine our own faith. While we may never be asked to die for Christ, we are called each day to live for Him—to remain faithful when it is inconvenient, to forgive when it is difficult, to serve without expecting recognition, and to stand for truth with charity and courage. Their example reminds us that true discipleship is measured not only in extraordinary moments but also in the countless small decisions to love, trust, and remain faithful.
May these holy martyrs intercede for us, that we may have the courage to follow Christ with the same unwavering faith, the same generous heart, and the same joyful hope that sustained them until the very end.
聖巴溪 (St. Mary of Peace)
瑪利安娜・朱利亞尼（Marianna Giuliani）於1875年12⽉13⽇出⽣於義⼤利阿奎拉（Aquila）⼀個貧困的家庭。她的⽗親不容許任何宗教信仰或宗教活動，且性情暴躁，動輒勃然⼤怒；她的母親則是⼀位虔誠的教友，從⼩教導她和她的兄弟姊妹熱愛天主、孝愛聖母。瑪利安娜⼗歲時，母親去世，⽗親也遺棄了全家。由於有⼈憐憫他們的處境，他們遂被另⼀個家庭收養。幾年後，她的叔⽗引導她⾛向奉獻⽣活，加⼊⽅濟各瑪利亞修⼥會（Franciscan Sisters of Mary）。她獲得會⾧瑪利亞苦難姆姆（Mother Mary of the Passion）接納，成為⼀位初學⽣。其後，她前往法國完成學業，並於1892 年進⼊初學院，領受會名 瑪利亞．和平聖母（Mary of Peace）。在法國萬夫（Vanves），和平聖母修⼥宣發了初願。不久之後，她被派往奧地利創⽴⼀個新的修會團體。在那裡，她學習了⼀種新的語⾔，也接觸了不同的⽂化。這⼀切都為她⽇後前往⼀⽚更遙遠的⼟地作好了準備；在那裡，無論語⾔還是⾵俗習慣，都⽐她以往所經歷的更加迥異。
1899 年，和平聖母修⼥與另外六位修⼥登上前往中國的船隻。她們於5 ⽉4 ⽇抵達中國，並奉聖艾⼠杰 額我略（Gregory Grassi）主教之命，在太原城設⽴⼀所孤兒院。由於她擁有優美的歌喉，因此也負責籌劃修會團體的聖樂與禮儀⾳樂事務。她是七位修⼥中最年輕的⼀位，並擔任會⾧修⼥聖艾明納 瑪麗–艾爾敏．德．耶穌（Marie-Hermine of Jesus）的襄理。
聖嘉納 (St. Mary Clare)
克萊莉亞．納內蒂（Clelia Nanetti）於1872 年1 ⽉9 ⽇出⽣於義⼤利羅維⼽省（Rovigo）聖瑪利亞．瑪達肋納（Santa Maria Maddalena）。她⾃幼聰穎過⼈，雖然只接受了⼩學教育，卻在年少時便萌⽣了將⽣命完全奉獻給基督的志向。⼗⼋歲時，她向⽗母請求准許她進⼊修會⽣活。然⽽，⽗母認為那不過是少⼥⼀時的念頭，因此沒有答應。在接下來的兩年裡，克萊莉亞經歷了許多痛苦、⾟酸與失望；但她渴望傳揚福⾳的熱⽕⾮但沒有減退，反⽽愈加熾烈。她透過⾝為⽅濟會會⼠的兄⾧巴爾納伯（Barnabe）認識了瑪利亞⽅濟各傳教修⼥會（Franciscan Missionaries of Mary），並在兄⾧的⿎勵下，於1892 年1 ⽉24 ⽇進⼊修會備修期，同年4 ⽉開始初學⽣活，領受會名 (瑪麗．克拉爾 – Mary Clare）。她是⼀位真正的傳教修⼥：常常滿懷喜樂，做事有時稍嫌急躁，卻始終樂於為他⼈犧牲奉獻。
1899 年，她與另外六位修⼥⼀同抵達中國太原，肩負創辦⼀所孤兒院及⼀間⼩型醫院的使命。她努⼒學習中⽂，融⼊中國⽂化，以便更有效地服務當地百姓。⾃抵達太原之⽇起，她們便全⼼投⼊照顧孤兒、醫治病患、扶助貧苦⼤眾，並為兒童及新教友提供基礎教育和要理講授，培育他們的信仰⽣活。在團體的傳教⼯作中，她也參與向孤兒及當地中國婦⼥講授天主教要理，在艱困的環境中協助她們認識並實踐基督信仰。
當時，⼀個源⾃⼭東、直隸⼀帶，由習武⼈⼠及民間秘密結社成員組成的團體興起，⾃稱「義和團」。他們強烈反對西⽅勢⼒的影響，尤其敵視外國傳教⼠及其教友。滿洲官員毓賢總督積極扶植義和團，⿎勵他們抗拒外來勢⼒。毓賢早年曾在⼭東推動義和團運動，並頒布告⽰，將義和團宣揚為保家衛國的義⼠，更懸賞誅殺外國⼈。在其縱容與⽀持下，義和團焚毀聖堂，掠奪教會財物，並對教友施⾏恐嚇與迫害。
1900 年7 ⽉5 ⽇，義和團事件的暴⼒衝突⽇益加劇。在地⽅官員的⽀持下，⼀群義和團團民闖⼊太原天主堂傳教區，拘捕了六位⽅濟會會⼠、七位⽅濟各會傳教修⼥，以及⼗四位中國天主教徒（包括五位修⽣和九位平信徒 ，共⼆⼗六⼈。他們被嚴密看守四天。在這段期間，他們每天共同舉⾏感恩聖祭，彼此作最後的道別。官員曾答應，只要他們否認⾃⼰的天主教信仰，便可獲得釋放；然⽽，他們都堅定地拒絕背棄信仰。
1900 年7 ⽉9 ⽇，囚犯們被剝去上⾝⾐物，雙⼿遭綑綁，並被繫在⼀起，在群眾的辱罵與嘲笑聲中，押送⾄⼭西巡撫衙⾨，由巡撫毓賢主持⼀場徒具形式的審訊。審訊結束後，他們被判處死刑，並當場遭⼠兵斬⾸殉道。七位修⼥是最後殉道的⼀群。據⽬擊者記述，她們彼此相擁，⾼唱《讚主頌》感恩聖歌，從容迎向殉道。她們的⾸級被懸掛⽰眾，⽽遺體則被棄置於城牆外，任由野獸吞⾷。
聖巴溪與聖嘉納的⼀⽣提醒我們：聖德往往是在⽇常忠信的⽣活中逐漸培育⽽成，並在⾯對⾮凡考驗時得以彰顯。兩位聖⼥⾃幼便經歷了⼈⽣的艱⾟。聖巴溪承受了喪母之痛，並遭⽗親遺棄；聖嘉納則因渴望度奉獻⽣活的⼼願⼀再延宕，⽽經歷失望與等待。然⽽，她們都沒有讓苦難使⾃⼰的⼼變得冷硬，也沒有因此動搖對天主的信賴。相反地，她們以望德、堅忍不拔的精神，以及⼀顆熱切服務他⼈的⼼，回應⽣命中的⼀切挑戰。
她們跨越洲際，學習新的語⾔，融⼊陌⽣的⽂化，並將⾃⼰奉獻於中國，照顧孤兒、病患和貧苦⼤眾。她們深知，跟隨基督意味著無論天主召叫她們到何處，只要有⼈需要她們，即使前路艱難、充滿未知，也要勇敢前往。
她們最後所作出的勇敢⾒證，並⾮⼀時的英雄壯舉，⽽是多年來祈禱、犧牲，以及每⽇忠信奉獻於天主所結出的果實。
修⼥們彼此相擁，在⾯對死亡時同聲詠唱《讚主頌》的情景，是⼀個有⼒的⾒證 ，表明她們的信德勝過了⼀切恐懼。她們讚美天主，並⾮因為苦難容易承受，⽽是因為她們深信，天主的愛⽐死亡更為強⼤。
她們的故事邀請我們反省⾃⼰的信仰⽣活。雖然我們未必會被召叫為基督捨棄⽣命，但我們每天都蒙召為祂⽽⽣活 — 在不⽅便時仍保持忠信，在困難時仍選擇寬恕，不求回報地服務他⼈，並以愛德和勇氣堅守真理。她們的榜樣提醒我們，真正的⾨徒⽣活，不僅是在⾮凡時刻所展現的⾒證，更是在無數平凡的⽇常抉擇中，選擇去愛、去信賴，並始終忠於天主。
願這些神聖的殉道者為我們轉求，使我們也能懷著她們那份堅定不移的信德、慷慨奉獻的愛⼼，以及充滿喜樂的望德，勇敢地跟隨基督，並在⼀⽣中忠信到底。
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