www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology patron saint chosen for you for 2016

Hello everyone
In latest Jennifer Fulwile's newsletter which I am subscribed to , she offered a link to saint's name generator by which you can randomly choose a saint which will be your patron for 2016. I think it's a great idea, so if you want to, you can do it here:
http://saintsnamegenerator.com/
I got Saint Peter Ou (Peter Wu Gousheng). The data about him are very poorly. And I want to know more about him , for he seems very interesting with this data I have. For example I didn't find anywhere what is his patronage? If anyone knows something more about him, please share. (link or pdf maybe?)

That would be Alex, walking encyclopedia on pre-schism saints.

Welcome to Byzcath!

Thank you Pani Rose :-)

Alex plesase help! :-))

I heard someone mention something about schism - so I came running to see if I could help . . .

St Peter Wu Gousheng is one of the 120 canonized Martyrs of China, declared so by St John Paul II in 2000 AD.

He was born in 1768 in the Sichuan-Guizhou region in the west of China. He was an inn-keeper who was known for his charity to those in need, even before his baptism in 1796. He became a catechist and converted more than 600 of those who came to stay with him at his inn!

The Emperor of China at the time declared oppressive measures against Christians and Peter was arrested in April of 1814. He was tortured and was then condemned to die for his refusal to walk on a Crucifix.

(Treading and/or spitting of Crucifixes was a way that the pagan leaders of Asian countries could both identify Christians living among them and then condemning them to death for refusing to obey them in renouncing Christianity. In Japan, Catholics there actually developed Crucifixes that depicted Christ as a buddha/Enlightened One sitting in the lotus position. The police then stopped with that practice since they didn't want to be engaged in acts of disrespect toward the Buddha. I once came across a Chinese Catholic who had just such a Crucifix from the era of persecution . . .)

St Peter was strangled to death on November 7, 1814 as he cried: "Heaven, heaven my true home! I see my heavenly Mother and my Guardian Angel coming to take me home!" He also wrote to his wife from prison, where he led prayer services, to encourage her to be loyal to Christ etc.

Peter was beatified in 1900 by Pope Leo X111 and canonized in 2000 AD by St John Paul II as one of the 120 Martyrs of China.

He is commemorated on November 7th, the day of his martyrdom and also on September 28 as one of the Martyrs of China.

Alex

Dear Alex, thank you so much for taking the time to answer me. Do you perhaps also know what is his patronage?

Dear Ivancica (what a beautiful name!),

He and his companions are patrons of China.

As an innkeeper, by right, he should also be patron of hoteliers and even lay missionaries since he converted over 600 of his guests who came to stay at his inn!

Alex

Thank you, Ivancica means Daisy on Croatian. I think it's a beautiful flower, thats why I chose it to be my nick name here. :-)

I am asking about his patronage, because I'm not sure why I got him on http://saintsnamegenerator.com/ , and I'm sure there must be a reason. That's why I wanted to know more about him, so I can see where we relate. As far as I can see , he was passionate, brave, full of faith, which is something I'm not sure I have enouogh. So maybe that is the reason..

Certainly, we may choose any patron saint for ourselves and it is good to have one who reflects virtues which we would like to have and emulate. Continual prayer and other aspects of the Life in Christ will develop them in us over time!

If I was a Macedonian, I would have as my nick-name "zdravets" which, as I understand, is the flower at the centre of the Star of Vergina of Alexander the Great!

Christ is Born!

Alex