Joseph Yuan (Chinese name: 袁在德; 1766 – 1817) was a Chinese priest and martyr of the 19th century.
Life He was born in 1766 in Pengshui, Chongqing, Sichuan. His Chinese name was Yuan Zaide. When he was young, he heard the preaching of Gabriel-Taurin Dufresse and converted to Christianity. His baptismal name was Joseph."Agostino Zhao Rong (+ 1815) and 119 Companions, Martyrs in China (+ 1648 – 1930)", Vatican News services
He felt a calling to the priesthood and studied to become a priest at the Luoranggou mission seminary in Yibin, Sichuan. He was ordained to the priesthood on September 20th 1794. Following his ordination, he worked as a missionary priest in eastern Sichuan.《被遗忘的牧者》 附录 18世纪在川华籍司铎名录, Douban website, Forgotten shepherds of Sichuan, retrieved July 19th 2024
A wave of persecution against Christians occurred during the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor. During this persecution, Joseph Yuan was arrested and ordered to renounce his faith. He refused and was executed by strangulation on June 24th 1817.
Canonization He was beatified on May 27, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII and canonized along with other martyrs of China on October 1, 2000, by Pope John Paul II.Cappella papale for the canonization of 123 new saints: homily of John Paul II, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1 October 2000, retrieved May 23, 2024
See also Catholic Church in Sichuan
References