Saint Augustine Zhao Rong: China’s First Native Priest-Martyr
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, also spelt Tchao Rong, holds a unique place in Church history. He began his life as an imperial soldier in Qing dynasty China, yet he ended it as the first Chinese-born priest ever martyred for his faith. Every year on July 9, the Church honours Saint Augustine Tchao alongside 119 companion martyrs, together known as the Martyr Saints of China. His story reveals how a single encounter can transform not only one life, but an entire nation’s spiritual future.
The Feast Day and Early Life of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong
The Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong every July 9. He was born in 1746 in Wuchuan, a county in China’s Guizhou province, and was originally given the surname Zhu. Around the age of twenty, he joined the Qing imperial army and rose to the rank of sergeant. At that time, Christianity had already taken deep root in parts of China, despite waves of imperial persecution that had suppressed Catholic missions throughout the region for decades.
A Soldier’s Encounter That Changed Everything
In the late eighteenth century, authorities arrested Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse, a French missionary from the Paris Foreign Mission Society, and sentenced him to execution in Beijing. Zhu was assigned to the company of guards tasked with escorting the condemned bishop on that long, difficult journey. Rather than remaining indifferent, however, Zhu found himself deeply moved by the bishop’s calm patience in the face of certain death.
This encounter changed the soldier’s life completely. Soon afterward, he requested baptism and took the Christian name Augustine. Although the bishop who inspired him was later martyred, his influence lived on through his unlikely spiritual son.
From Soldier to Priest: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong’s Ordination
Rather than returning to military life, Augustine pursued training for the priesthood. Just five years after his baptism, he was ordained at the age of thirty-five, becoming the first Chinese-born diocesan priest in history. He then served the Diocese of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, ministering to a Catholic community that had already endured generations of imperial suppression.
For a time, the Church in China experienced periods of relative calm between crackdowns. Nevertheless, renewed persecution arrived in 1814, when new imperial decrees once again outlawed the Christian faith. This time, authorities aimed their efforts specifically at native-born Chinese Christians, including the clergy who served them.
Arrest, Faithfulness, and Martyrdom
Officials arrested Father Augustine Zhao Rong during this fresh wave of persecution. When given the opportunity to renounce his Catholic faith and save his life, he refused. As a direct consequence of that unwavering commitment, he died a martyr in 1815 in Chengdu, at roughly sixty-eight or sixty-nine years old.
His death marked a significant milestone for the Church in China. Although foreign-born missionaries had already given their lives for the faith throughout the region, Father Augustine Zhao Rong became the first Chinese priest to do the same, inspiring generations of native clergy who followed in his footsteps.
Recognition and the Martyr Saints of China
Decades after his death, the Church formally recognized his sacrifice. Pope Leo XIII beatified Saint Augustine Zhao Rong on May 27, 1900, acknowledging his witness alongside many others who suffered similarly. Then, on October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized him together with 119 companion martyrs, collectively known today as the Martyr Saints of China.
This larger group includes remarkable diversity. Of the 120 total martyrs, 87 were Chinese laypeople, ranging from farmers and merchants to catechists and even children as young as nine years old. The remaining 33 were foreign-born missionaries, most of them priests or religious sisters serving in China during centuries of upheaval. Together, they represent one of the largest groups of canonized saints in modern Church history.
A Legacy That Still Inspires
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong’s transformation, from a soldier assigned to escort a condemned man, to a priest who ultimately faced the same fate himself, continues to resonate with the faithful today. His story shows how faith can take root even under the most hostile circumstances, and how quiet witness often accomplishes what force cannot. As the Church celebrates his feast day each July 9, believers remember not only his courage, but also the broader community of Chinese Catholics who preserved their faith through generations of hardship.
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