09 July - Zhao Rong was born in 1746 in Kweichou. He is from a pagan family. At the age of 20, he enlists in the Chinese Imperial Army. A few years later, during the government persecutions against Christians, he is in charge of guarding Christian prisoners. He then listened to the priests who spoke and continued to proclaim the Gospel while in detention.

He became especially attached to a priest of the Foreign Missions in Paris, Fr. Gabriel-Taurin Dufresse, whom he had to escort to Peking. He becomes converted by listening to him and observing his behaviour and faith. Soldier Zhao Rong then began a real catechumenate with this priest, who baptized him on his release from prison, under the first name of Augustine.

The newly baptized, or neophyte, continues his journey and wants to become a priest in his turn. He helps priests by taking care of the baptisms of dying children. Augustine Zhao Rong is training to become a seminarian in the field, accompanied by a priest. He receives priestly ordination from the hands of the Vicar Apostolic of Sichuan, François Pottier. As a priest, he is renowned for his preaching, especially on the Passion of Jesus. He aroused many conversions. 1 He was then sent to Yunnan to evangelize the population there. During a new persecution, he was discovered as a Christian priest.

Imprisoned, mocked by magistrates, he refuses to deny his faith. He was then tortured, beaten, and died in prison a few days later, on January 27, 1815. Recognized as a martyr, he was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on May 27, 1900. He was then canonized by John Paul II on October 1, 2000, at the head of the group of 120 Martyrs of China, officially entitled "Augustin Zhao Rong and his 119 companions", because he was the first Chinese priest to be martyred.