St. Joseph Freinademetz
Saint Joseph Freinademetz served as a missionary in China throughout his lifetime. He also served as a member of the Society of the Divine Word. From the time he began his studies, Saint Joseph Freinademetz felt called to serve the Church as a missionary.
He arrived in the Province of Shanturg in 1881. During this time, he continued to pursue missionary work and spread the Word of God. He helped share Christianity with the 12 million people living on that province. At the time, only 158 people had been baptized. He translated a catechism in Chinese, and this was considered a significant contribution to the missionary work completed in China.
Saint Joseph Freinademetz died as a result of a typhus outbreak during his missionary work. Pope John Paul II canonized him on October 5, 2003. The feast day of Saint Joseph Freinademetz is celebrated on January 28. A symbol associated with the saint is a mission cross, and it exemplifies the love and faith shared by the saint throughout his lifetime.
