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The Friars Minor in Shanxi
 Gregorius Grassi, bishop
Gregory Grassi was born on December
13th, 1833 in Castellazzo Bormida, Italy, and was baptized
with the name Peirluigi. His parents raised him with their eight
children in the sound principles of religion, including devotion to
Our Lady. On November 2nd, 1848, he took the Franciscan
habit in the Friary of Montiano, Romagna, with the name, Gregorius.
His solemn profession was made one year later on December
14th. After taking a regular course in philosophy and
theology at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Bologna
under the direction of Fr. Ludovico Piavi, later becoming the Latin
Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Fr. Luigi Canali, Minister General. He
was ordained a priest on August 17th, 1856, and in 1858,
he went to the friary of St. Bartholomew on the Island, in Rome to
prepare for the mission in China. In 1860, he was assigned to Shanxi.
He first spent several years in the Tianjin area. When he moved to
Taiyuan, he was made Mission Promoter, director of the orphanage and
choir master in the seminary. After the death of Msgr. Paolo Carnevali of
Fresonara, he was made coadjutor of Bishop Moccagatta, Vicar
Apostolic of Shanxi, on January 28th, 1876. He set to work
at once, tackling the most arduous and difficult pastoral visits,
traveling from the outskirts of Taiyuan to a distance of up to 450
km, on rough roads, by donkey or on foot. He also rebuilt the famous
Marian shrine called the "Portiuncula". Famine and
plague added to his difficulties. When he took over the Vicariate on
the death of Msgr. Moccagatta on September 6th, 1891, he
established a Novitiate to provide the benefit of Franciscan life for
the Chinese of all four vicariates in Shanxi, and a rest home for
overworked missionaries. He also enlarged the orphanage and built
others. He was assiduous in hearing confessions, giving catechisms to
both children and adults, and helping the poor and supporting the
missionaries. On the eve of martyrdom, he was asked to flee and hide,
he replied: "Ever since I was
twelve, I have desired and also asked God for martyrdom. Now that
this longed-for hour has come, must I run away?" He was executed by the Governor of Shanxi on July 9,
1900.
 Franciscus Fogolla - bishop
Franciscus Fogolla was born in Montereggio, diocese of
Pontremoli on October 4th, 1839, to Gioacchion and
Elisabetta Ferrari, who gave him a strong moral upbringing. Later, in
Parma, he found his vocation as a Franciscan and missionary in 1858.
He took the Franciscan habit and made his religious profession on
August 21st, 1859. After completing his high school
studies and philosophy in Cortemaggiore and Bologna, he studied
theology in Parma where he was ordained a priest on September
19th, 1863. Next came studies at St. Bartholomew on the
Island in Rome. He left for China on December 13th, 1866.
There he joined Msgr. Grassi in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and began his
missionary work. He committed himself to visiting the parishes in the
north, and south as Vicar General, administering the sacraments and
preaching to both Christians and non-Christians. At the same time he
studied the classics to deepen his knowledge of the Chinese language.
This made him able to teach the missionaries and win the esteem of
the people. He also rid the Church of abuses, and improved the
education and customs of his followers so that their numbers
increased. He defended against official oppression and gained
credence in the courts. He was chosen to be the official preacher at
two diocesan synods, 1880 and 1885. When his life was threatened by
serious illnesses, he was recalled to Taiyuan, but on recovery was
named Vicar General for Tianjin area. He succeeded in getting the
Mandarins' permission for Christians
to qualify for the arts degree. The Turin Exhibition in 1897 and his
presentation won him high honors and widespread support of the Shanxi
missions. While in Paris, he was consecrated Coadjutor to Msgr.
Grassi on August 24th, 1898, and his travels through
France, Belgium and England with four Chinese seminarians raised the
funds needed for the mission in China. Nine young priests and seven
Sisters, Fanciscan Missionaries of Mary, came back to Taiyuan with
him.
When he arrived back in Taiyuan, he was caught in the final storm
of the Boxer persecution and was executed by Yuxian, Governor of
Shanxi, on July 9, 1900. He had given this reply to his
brother's invitation to return to
Italy, saying, "I will die
with my weapons in hand, to fight hell and fly to
heaven."
 Elias Facchini - priest
Elias Facchini was born on July 2nd, 1839 in
Reno Centese, Province of Ferrara, Archdiocese of Bologna, and was
the third and youngest child of Francesco and Marianna Guaraldi. In
character, he was somewhat like his namesake, the Prophet Elias,
rough but strong, and incapable of compromise. His reply to the
persecutors of Taiyuan was, "My faith is of
steel; it may break, but it does not bend." The foundations of this moral nobility, which led him to
martyrdom, were established in the solitude and silence at the
novitiate at the Friary of Le Grazie, Rimini. He made his religious profession on November 1st, 1859,
and was ordained a priest on December 18th, 1864. He was
described by Fr. Luigi Canali, later becoming Minister General and
Bishop, as a priest "he was of sound morals and sacred virtues, a model of the true
Franciscan apostle and worthy to die for Christ." In 1866, after religious institutes were suppressed, he
made the usual preparation at St. Bartholomew on the Island, in Rome
where he met up with his companion in studies, Fr. Fogolla, and
replaced him in the work of the Taiyuan to direct the native
seminary, teaching literature and theology. He also compiled a large
Latin-Chinese dictionary and a philosophical and theological
compendium. He was a theologian, an author, and the secretary of Bishop
Moccagatta. He took part in the two Synods of the Vicariate, in 1880
and 1885, and the third Synod of Shanxi. He taught and formed a whole
generation of indigenous priests, who later, in the hour of trial,
proved they were worthy of their teacher, by offering their lives for
their faith. In 1893, he became Superior and Novice Master of the Friary of
Dongergou, which Msgr. Grassi had built, but was soon recalled to
teach his younger followers at Tiayuan. At the beginning of 1900, he
foresaw his imminent martyrdom with the words:"If they kill me, I will get to heaven all the sooner. My
body is already worn out. I will thank the Lord if I have to die for
the faith." He was executed on July 9th, 1900 by
the Governor of Shanxi.
 Theodoricus Balat - Priest
Theodoricus Balat was born on October 28th,
1858 in St. Martin de Tours in the diocese of Albi. He loved to play
on words, which made his confreres call him
"The good
Albigensian". His parents, Giovanni
Francesco and Rosa Taillefer, tried to give him a deeply Christian
education. Although he was a frank and restless, he was nonetheless
generous and averse to the temptations of evil. At the age of eleven, he entered the Lavour minor seminary where
he was noted for his docility, diligence and moral conduct. He also
joined the Franciscan Third Order. The next step was to enter the
major seminary in Albi, where, following the visit of a Franciscan
priest who spoke about the missions, he decided to take the
Franciscan habit. He did so at the novitiate of the province of St.
Louis in Pon on June 29, 1880, taking the name of Theodoricus. His
simple profession followed on June 30th, 1881, in
Woodlands, England, and his solemn vows on July 2nd,
1884 Theordoricus arrived in China on October of 1884. His missionary
travels had a romantic quality and his zeal and remarkable piety were
crowned with great success. Modeling a life as a missionary, he
converted many Chinese to the faith. His Bishop, Msgr. Grassi, gave
him various delicate roles, such as a teacher in the minor seminary,
Master of Novices, promoter of the missions, chaplain to the Sisters,
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, and chaplain of the orphanage. He
continued his duties even during times of persecution, saying when he
was advised to flee, "My duty
is to remain." His great self-control did not abandon him even
in prison. When the tyrant, Yu Xian, arrived with his soldiers,
Theodoricus was calmly saying his breviary. He stood up, gave the
Sisters his final blessing and courageously shared the palm of
martyrdom with them. He died before they did, and was executed on
July 9, 1900 by the Governor of Shanxi.
 Andreas Bauer - Friar
Andreas was born on November
24th, 1866, in Guebwiller, Alsace, in France. His parents
were Luca and Lucia Moser. In his late teens he joined the Franciscan
Third Order and at the age of twenty, he was clothed as an Oblate in
England, where he had gone to comply with France's military laws. Recalled to Paris, he served his country faithfully for three
years in his chosen regiment, the Cuirassiers. When he completed his
duty, he returned to the Frairy where he made his first profession.
Later, he joined Msgr. Fogolla's group on mission to China,
fulfilling a desire that he had had from the very beginning of his
religious life. Arriving in Taiyuan on May 4, 1899, he was entrusted by Bishop
Grassi with managing the lay personnel of the mission station as well
as the surgery. Here he waited calmly for the storm of Boxer
persecutions in 1900, and, he won the palm of martyrdom. He wrote to
his brother earlier in the year, "We are at the dawn of a new century. I do not know what
is in store for us. Oh! If only I too, like the good thief, could
reach Paradise!" Only a few months later, a soldier asked him to
put out his hands so that he could bind them. Andreas knelt down,
kissed the chains, and went singing to the place of execution. This
execution was personally ordered and supervised by the Governor of
Shanxi on July 9, 1900.
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