DONG BODI, PATRICK, ST.

Franciscan seminarian, martyr; b. 1882, Guchengyin, Taiyüan Xian, Shanxi Province; d. July 9, 1900, Taiyüan, Shanxi Province, China. Patrick Dong Bodi (also written Tung or Tun) was the eldest of the four sons of the pious Christians Paul Dong Hongxi and Clare Wong. He began his studies for the priesthood at Dongergou in 1893, then continued at Taiyüan's major seminary (1895), where he was an acolyte known for his maturity and devotion to the Blessed Mother, and where he learned three European languages. He traveled throughout Europe with Bp. Francesco Fogolla (1897–99). Patrick

was preparing to enter the Franciscan novitiate at Tong-el-Kou when he was captured by the Boxers and beheaded. The rest of his family was martyred (Aug. 13, 1900), while praying in church. Patrick was beatified by Pope Pius XII (Nov. 24, 1946) and canonized (Oct. 1,2000) by Pope John Paul II with Augustine Zhao Rong and companions.

Feast: July 4.

See Also: china, martyrs of, ss.

Bibliography: l. m. balconi, Le Martiri di Taiyuen (Milan 1945). Acta Apostolicae Sedis 47 (1955) 381–388. Vita del b. A. Crescitelli (Milan 1950). m. t. de blarer, Les Bse Marie Hermine de Jésus et ses compagnes, franciscaines missionnaires de Marie, massacrées le 9 juillet 1900 à Tai-Yuan-Fou, Chine (Paris 1947). Les Vingt-neuf martyrs de Chine, massacrés en 1900, béatifiés par Sa Sainteté Pie XII, le 24 novembre, 1946 (Rome 1946). l. miner, China's Book of Martyrs: A Record of Heroic Martyrdoms and Marvelous Deliverances of Chinese Christians during the Summer of 1900 (Ann Arbor 1994). j. simon, Sous le sabre des Boxers (Lille 1955). c. testore, Sangue e palme sul fiume giallo. I beati martiri cinesi nella persecuzione della Boxe Celi Sud-Est, 1900 (Rome 1955). L'Osservatore Romano, Eng. ed. 40 (2000): 1–2, 10.

[k. i. rabenstein]