The Boxer Rebellion in China

The church celebrates the Catholic martyrs of China on July 9th. St. Mark was a highly respected physician who treated the poor for free. But he had a terrible stomach ailment, which he began to treat with opium because of the pain. And he quickly grew addicted to the opium and then was unable to stop taking it. He insisted that he be the last one to be martyred because he didn't want anyone in his family to die alone.