On This Day ...

We remember one of the original X-men (the Jesuit ones, not the super-powered ones):

During the period of his life when he should have been settling into a steady career, earning money and honor, and preparing for comfortable retirement, Ignatius was reassessing his entire worldview. Not only did he do an about-face when he converted from soldier of Spain to soldier of Christ, but he then confronted many tribulations of sickness, persecution, doubt and failure. Ignatius gave his life totally to Christ, but this did not mean his vocation was clear.

 

Also: 

St. Martha Wang (1812-61) was a 19th-century Chinese martyr killed by local authorities because of their hatred for the Catholic Faith. Her feast day is July 29.

She was born in Zunji, China. She married and moved to Qingyian, where she and her husband grew vegetables. The couple, unable to conceive children, adopted two nephews. Martha’s husband died, and by the time her nephews had grown up, they had spent her money and left home, so she opened a small inn. She busied herself with mundane tasks, including cleaning and cooking, and was especially known for her steamed buns. It was while operating this inn that she met a Catholic catechist and became interested in the Catholic faith.

She converted to Catholicism in 1852. She gave herself entirely to the service of God and moved to Guiyang, where she could attend Mass daily. While there, she served as a cook in a Catholic hostel for young women. Bishop Hu established a seminary in Yaojiaguan, and she went on to work as a cook and cleaning lady for the seminarians and the seminary staff.

In 1861, the local political authority was hostile to Christianity and ordered the arrest and execution of three seminarians. She visited the three and brought them food, did their laundry, and smuggled communications between them and their bishop.

On July 29, 1861, she walked with the seminarians to their place of execution. She was unafraid of death threats made by the soldiers leading the seminarians, and was arrested herself and beheaded.

She was beatified by Pope St. Pius X in 1909, and canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000.