Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang

Life story

Mark Ji Tianxiang was born in 1834 in Jizhou district, Zhili province (now Hebei), China. He was a physician and a lay Catholic. To treat a severe stomach illness he used opium, a common practice at the time, and became addicted. Addiction was widely regarded as shameful then.

According to Catholic sources, he remained devout but his confessor refused him absolution, judging that he lacked contrition for his addiction. One source says he did not receive Communion for about 30 years. These sources are mostly devotional, so the detail is hard to confirm independently.

He died in July 1900 in Jizhou district during the Boxer Rebellion; sources give 7, 8 or 9 July. Arrested with relatives and other Catholics and offered the chance to renounce his faith, he refused and was beheaded. Accounts say he begged his captors to kill him last, so that none of his relatives would die alone.

Pope Pius XII beatified him on 24 November 1946 with other Chinese martyrs, and John Paul II canonized him on 1 October 2000. His feast is 9 July.

Works and witness

• Worked as a physician in Hebei
• Became addicted to opium after using it for a stomach illness
• Beheaded in July 1900 with relatives and other Christians
• Canonized on 1 October 2000

Saints from the same country

The 120 Martyrs of China, Saint Anna Wang, Saint Agatha Lin, Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying

References

• America Magazine, "A little-known saint who knew the pain of addiction" (2022)
• Our Sunday Visitor, "The life of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang"
• Asia Harvest, "1900 - Mark Ji Tianxiang & 11 Family Members"

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.