The Byzantine Shrine on Beacon Hill

Two Hundred and Twenty-Two New Martyrs of Peking

On the great and saving day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, as Christ had promised (John 16:7-15). The unlearned fishermen were made wise by divine grace, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and teaching with authority. Most of them (except for Saint John the Theologian) sealed their labors with their own blood. This was the beginning of the Church’s mission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18), which continues even to the present day.

In 1685, the Russian Orthodox Church established an Orthodox mission in Peking (now Beijing). For more than two hundred years, some of the Chinese converted to Christianity, and married Russian spouses.

Because of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, against the foreign powers occupying China, these Chinese Christians were given the choice of renouncing Christianity, or being tortured and killed.

Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest, Father Metrophanes Chang (Chang Tzi-tzung) refused to deny Christ, and received incorruptible crowns of glory.

Among these Holy New Martyrs are Saint Metrophanes, his wife Tatiana, his sons John and Isaiah, Isaiah’s fiancée Maria; the church school teachers Paul Wang and Ia Wen; and many others.

Troparion — Tone 1

By the sufferings of Your saints which they endured for Your sake, / be moved, O Lord, and heal all our infirmities, / we implore You, O Lover of man.

Kontakion — Tone 8

(Podoben: “Seeking the highest…”)
O divine martyrs, you have appeared as bright beacons, / illumining all of creation with the radiance of your miracles; / unceasingly entreat Christ to deliver us all from our infirmities, / and to drive away from us the profound darkness of ignorance.