Name St. Wang | ||
Chinese saint of the week 2 st anna wang english
St. Anna Wang was born in the Xingtai Hebei Province in China in the year 1886. When she was 10 years old, she decided not to marry but to dedicate herself to Jesus alone.
During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, It was made known that the government had banned the practice of Western religion and that if you did not apostatize or renounce your faith, you would be killed.
On July 21, 1900, the Boxer Bandits came to Ma Jia Zhuang and rounded up all the Catholics of the village of Da Ning and herded them into one room called the “east” room. The head of the bandits told them to denounce their religion or else be killed. He continued by saying that all they had to do was to walk out of the “east” room to the “west” room and someone would be there to set them free. After a while, the step mother of St. Anna walked to the “west” room but then suddenly turned back and grabbed St. Anna's arm and tried to pull her to the “west” room. St. Anna grabbed the door frame to prevent her stepmother from dragging her into the “west” room. She cried out, “I want to believe in God. I want to be a Catholic.I do not want to leave the Church! Jesus help me!”
That night St. Anna led those left in the “east” room in evening prayers.
The next morning, the bandits marched all the Catholics to the execution site. St. Anna led everyone in a prayer and made an act of contrition.
When they arrived, St. Anna knelt down facing the church of the Wei village. She folded her hands and began to pray in a loud voice. The head bandit stood in front of her and told her, “Leave your church now.” St. Anna did not hear him since she was deep in prayer. He touched her forehead and then St. Anna awoke, stepped backward and screamed, “Do not touch me.” She calmed down and said, “I am a Catholic. I will never deny God. It is better for me to die.”
Angry, the bandit, cut off a piece of her left shoulder. He then asked her again to leave the church. She answered, “No.” He then raised his axe and cut off her left arm. St. Anna still knelt there with her right hand extended toward heaven. “The door of heaven is open” and whispering, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” She extended her neck. With that her earthly life of 14 years ended.
The faithful have venerated her ever since and many miracles have been documented. Most miraculous was her family repenting and returning to the faith. Her grandmother who once ill-treated her became a very fervent Catholic and enjoyed a holy death. Her stepmother, who denied her faith also returned to the church. Her father also returned to be a faithful Catholic.
On April 17, 1955, St. Anna Wang was beatified by Pope Pius XII and on October 1, 2000 was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II.