Saint Amandina of Schakkebroek
Encyclopedia
Saint Amandina of Schakkebroek (Schakkebroek, Herk-de-Stad
, 28 December 1872 – Taiyuan
, 9 July 1900), born under the name of Pauline Jeuris, was a Belgian
Franciscan
missionary
sister in China
. She was beatified
and canonized
together with other martyr
s of the Boxer rebellion
.
Her father was Cornelius Jeuris, born on 25 February 1830 and her mother was Agnes Thijs, born on 13 May 1836. Her mother died on 27 October 1879 with the birth of the ninth child. Pauline was the seventh child.
She attended primary school with the sisters Ursulines
in Herk-de-Stad
.
In 1886 she was serving with the Sisters of Love congregation in Sint-Truiden
, which also allowed her to study. Her elder sister Marie had already joined this congregation and her two-years-older sister Rosalie also had already worked there for two years.
On 2 August 1892 she went to Hasselt
to assist the household of her sister Anna, struck by illness and widowed with four children.
She entered the Institute of Franciscan Missionaries of Mary
with the name Marie Amandine. Her first assignment was to Marseilles to nurse the sick. Her second was to Taiyuan to work in the mission hospital. Her humor and joyfulness gained for her the esteem of the Chinese, who called her "the laughing foreigner".
In the course of the Boxer Rebellion
, an edict was issued on July 1, 1900 which, in substance, said that the time of good relations with European missionaries and their Christians was now past: that the former must be repatriated at once and the faithful forced to apostatize, on penalty of death.
When she heard the news that a persecution was approaching, Sr. Amandine said: "I pray God, not to save the martyrs, but to fortify them." With true Franciscan joy she and her companions went to meet death singing the Te Deum
, the hymn of thanksgiving. Seven Sisters, including Sr. Marie Amandina, were martyred on July 9, 1900. They were canonized on October 1, 2000, along with other Martyr Saints of China
.
Herk-de-Stad
Herk-de-Stad is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, Herk-de-Stad had a total population of 11,795. The total area is 42.83 km² which gives a population density of 275 inhabitants per km²....
, 28 December 1872 – Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, 9 July 1900), born under the name of Pauline Jeuris, was a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
sister in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. She was beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
and canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
together with other martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s of the Boxer rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
.
Background
Her official name was "Marie-Pauline Jeuris".Her father was Cornelius Jeuris, born on 25 February 1830 and her mother was Agnes Thijs, born on 13 May 1836. Her mother died on 27 October 1879 with the birth of the ninth child. Pauline was the seventh child.
Education
When she was only six years old, Pauline had already lost her mother. Until the age of fourteen she was placed with a neighbour woman (Celis-Jans). Thereafter she stayed for two years with the family Van Schoonbeek-Jans.She attended primary school with the sisters Ursulines
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
in Herk-de-Stad
Herk-de-Stad
Herk-de-Stad is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, Herk-de-Stad had a total population of 11,795. The total area is 42.83 km² which gives a population density of 275 inhabitants per km²....
.
In 1886 she was serving with the Sisters of Love congregation in Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, near the towns of Hasselt and Tongeren. The municipality includes the old communes of Aalst, Brustem, Duras, Engelmanshoven, Gelinden, Gorsem, Groot-Gelmen, Halmaal, Kerkom-bij-Sint-Truiden,...
, which also allowed her to study. Her elder sister Marie had already joined this congregation and her two-years-older sister Rosalie also had already worked there for two years.
On 2 August 1892 she went to Hasselt
Hasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
to assist the household of her sister Anna, struck by illness and widowed with four children.
Religious Life
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, or the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary is a Roman Catholic order founded by Sister Mary of the Passion, Helene de Chappotin, in 1877 at Ootacamund, India....
with the name Marie Amandine. Her first assignment was to Marseilles to nurse the sick. Her second was to Taiyuan to work in the mission hospital. Her humor and joyfulness gained for her the esteem of the Chinese, who called her "the laughing foreigner".
In the course of the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
, an edict was issued on July 1, 1900 which, in substance, said that the time of good relations with European missionaries and their Christians was now past: that the former must be repatriated at once and the faithful forced to apostatize, on penalty of death.
When she heard the news that a persecution was approaching, Sr. Amandine said: "I pray God, not to save the martyrs, but to fortify them." With true Franciscan joy she and her companions went to meet death singing the Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
, the hymn of thanksgiving. Seven Sisters, including Sr. Marie Amandina, were martyred on July 9, 1900. They were canonized on October 1, 2000, along with other Martyr Saints of China
Martyr Saints of China
The Martyr Saints of China, or Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, are saints of the Roman Catholic Church. The 87 Chinese Catholics and 33 Western missionaries, from the mid-17th century to 1930, were martyred because of their ministry and, in some cases, for their refusal to apostatize...
.