By Denise Carroll

Saint Joseph Zhang Dapeng

Born 1754

Died March 12, 1815

Learning about the saints is fascinating to me.  I pray to different saints at different times, from Saint Faustina to Saints Zelle and Louis. With over 10,000 saints recognized by the Catholic Church, I have learned about the lives of mostly the well-known or newly canonized saints from many Catholic sources.  Many were ordinary people who grew in their faith and went on to do extraordinary things.

Several saints share March 12 as their feast day.  One saint in particular intrigued me because of his desire to teach and save souls.  As a catechist to fourth graders, this saint piqued my interest.  Then I learned this convert to the faith and became a martyr.

Saint Joseph Zhang Dapeng grew up in a Buddhist home and later practiced Taoism. While working in the silk business in Guiyang, China, he first learned about Catholicism from a fellow merchant. Eventually, Saint Joseph Zhang joined the Catholic Church, and that is when he took the Christian name Joseph.

Catechizing

It was dangerous to be a practicing Catholic at this time in China, though, as foreign religions were not welcome.  Some family and business contacts soon ostracized Saint Joseph, and he was compelled to leave his job and open his own store.  From his home, Saint Joseph Zhang Dapeng preached and taught Catholicism.  This convert to the faith, taught around 1000 people during his lifetime.  His actions remind me of Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.”  When forced into hiding, Saint Joseph Zhang continued to teach.

Unfortunately, he was found out and arrested. Like Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Saint Joseph ministered to those alongside him in prison. Given the chance to renounce his Christian faith, Saint Joseph Zhang Dapeng refused.  In 1815, he was executed.

In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Joseph Zhang Dapeng as one of the holy martyr saints of China.

Do You Know of Saints

In faith formation classes, each chapter includes a faith partner or saint. The fourth graders are gifted at finding a connection between the holy people and their own lives. Sometimes, they like that a saint was good at sports or shares the same birthday. I like my students to see that their lives have a lot in common with the saints. Maybe you know someone living an ordinary and faith-filled life who will be a saint someday.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I pray for the inspiration to share my gifts with others in the hope of deepening my faith and bringing others closer to you.

Call to Action:

During this Lenten season, use more of your precious time to learn about the saints.  Which saint(s) do you model your life after?

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