Anna Wang

Anna Wang was a Catholic lay girl who was martyred during the Boxer Rebellion. She was declared a saint by John Paul II. She is one of the Martyrs of China.

Early life
Anna was born in 1886 at Machiazhuang, Hebei, China. She was born in a poor Christian family. She lost her mother when she was five years old. She was made strong in religion by receiving religious education from the nun Lucy Wang. She was forced to get married by her family at the age of eleven but she fought against it and didn't get married. She grew up as a strong Catholic believer.

Martyrdom
On July 21, 1900, a group of armed members of the Boxer Rebellion came to Anna’s village to kill the Christians and burn down the church. The Boxers told each Christian to renounce their faith or die. Anna, along with a few other Christians, refused to renounce their Faith. Anna and her companions were beheaded, and her body was dumped together with others in a mass grave. She was only 14 years old. Her body was exhumed and given proper burial on November 6, 1901.

Canonisation
She was venerated by Pope Pius XII on 22 February 1955 and beatified on 17 April. She was canonized and declared a saint by Pope John Paul II along with other Martyrs of China on 1 October 2000.