Patron Saint of China

Category: Countries & Regions

In Catholic tradition, patron saints are holy men and women whose lives and intercession are considered especially suited to particular needs, groups, or situations. The Church's practice of invoking saints reflects the doctrine of the Communion of Saints — the belief that the faithful departed remain united with the living in the one Body of Christ and can intercede before God on our behalf.

The designation of a patron saint for "China" reflects centuries of Catholic popular devotion and, in many cases, formal proclamations by popes or bishops recognizing a saint's particular connection to this intention through the circumstances of their life, death, or documented miracles.

Patron Saint of China

Formally proclaimed patronage — sourced from canonized saints in the Roman Calendar.

Primary Patron
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions

Feast Day
July 9

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions is invoked as patron of China. The Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions commemorates one hundred and twenty martyrs killed in China between 1648 and 1930: eighty-seven native Chinese Catholics (laypeople, catechists, seminarians, and priests) and thirty-three foreign missionaries (Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, members of the Paris Foreign Mission Society, and one bishop of the Salesian order).Saint Augustine Zhao Rong (1746-1815), whose name stands at the head of the group, was a soldier from Guizhou. While escorting the captured French missionary bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse, MEP, to Beijing in 1771, he was deeply moved by the bishop's patience under suffering, and after Bishop Dufresse's martyrdom he asked for Baptism. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/2000/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20001001_china-martyrs.html.

Read full biography of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the patron saint of china?

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions is the primary patron saint of china. Their feast day is July 9.

What is a patron saint?

A patron saint is a holy man or woman canonized by the Church whose life and heavenly intercession are considered especially powerful for particular needs, groups, or situations. Catholics ask patron saints to intercede — to pray to God on their behalf — drawing on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

How do I ask for Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions's intercession?

To ask for a patron saint's intercession, Catholics typically pray directly to the saint, saying something like: "Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, pray for us." You may also light a candle, attend Mass on their feast day, or make a novena — nine days of consecutive prayer — asking for their help before a particular need.