Saint Mary Fu Guilin (1863–1900 AD)
Feast Day: July 9 (Holy Martyrs of China)
St. Fu Guilin, baptized with the name of Mary, was born in Shenxian County, Hebei Province. She was committed to chastity since childhood. After graduating from Xianxian Mercy Church, she helped the missionaries and achieved outstanding results. It can be said that the parish of Daliucun in Wuyi was established through her efforts.
During the Boxer Rebellion, the boxers took the virgin outside the village. Knowing that the time for her martyrdom had come, she shouted “Jesus save me!” The boxers got impatient and told her to stop; they picked up a knife and chopped off her head. Angrily, they shot her body multiple times, then picked up her head and took it to the Wuyi Dragon Store to hang it.
Two years later, when the virgin’s younger brother came to relocate the tomb, he was surprised to find that Fu Guilin’s remains were intact and not decayed. Both believers and unbelievers were not surprised; they all recognized that was a miracle that God performed to honor her. Fu Guilin was 37 years old when she was martyred.
Fu Guilin was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000 as one of the holy martyr Saints of China.