Saint Joseph Freinademetz
![[photograph of Saint Joseph]](saintjfb.jpg "14kb jpg photograph of Saint Joseph in China; date unknown, photographer unknown; please do not write to ask about the image")
- Also known as
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Giuseppe Freinademetz;
Joseph of Shantung;
Jozef Freinademetz;
Ujoep (nickname)
- Memorial
- 28 January
- Profile
- Born into a pious farm family, the fourth of twelve children.
Polymath who knew seven language.
Ordained in Bressanone, Italian Tyrol on 25 July 1875.
Joined the Divine Word Missionaries when the congregation was only three years old.
Missionary to China in 1879; he spent the rest of his life there, and did all he could the be Chinese in order to convert the Chinese.
Worked initially with Franciscan missionaries so he and his group could get acclimated.
The bishop of Hong Kong planned to put Father Joseph in charge of the group, and later to ordain him as bishop; Joseph refused to leave the bishop's office until he changed his mind and give the honor to some one else.
It was a time of persecution of Christians in China; many in authority resented foreigners of any sort, and others were openly anti-Christian no matter who followed the faith.
Father Joseph, his co-workers and his flock were chased from place to place, arrested, routinely beaten.
Joseph is reported to have preached to his attackers while they were beating him; they were so moved and impressed, they left.
The abuse of the missionaries led to some foreign governments to dispatch armed forces to China to protect them.
The Chinese government reacted by expelling all foreigners.
Father Joseph stayed to minister covertly to the converts, finally resuming his work openly after the deportation orders were lifted.
On the roads and from the mission he worked to teach and convert right up to the very end of his life.
- Born
- 15 April 1852 in Pedraces in Val Gadena, the Tyrolean Alps, Italy
- Died
- 28 January 1908 in Taikia, China of tuberculosis and typhus
- Name Meaning
- whom the Lord adds (Joseph)
- Beatified
- 19 October 1975 by Pope Paul VI
- Canonized
- 5 October 2003 by Pope John Paul II
- Prayers
- God of all peoples and nations, your Spirit impelled Blessed Joseph to proclaim the good news of salvation to the people of China.
For the glory of your name and the missionary work of the Church, may Blessed Joseph the Missionary be recognized among your Saints.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
-prayer for the canonization of Saint Joseph
- Additional Information
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Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikons deutsch
Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon deutsch
Kirken i Norge norwegian
Santa Croce italiano
Father Bernard Fisher
- Translate
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español | français | deutsch | italiano | português
- Readings
- Love is the only language everyone understands.
-Saint Joseph
I want to be a Chinese in heaven.
-Saint Joseph
