1873 - Jean Hue & Michael Tay

September 5, 1873

Qianjiang, Sichuan

Jean Hue was born in the village of Guérinière, France, on January 21, 1837. After finishing school he started to learn the trade of his father, at the age of 19. Jean expressed a desire to become a Catholic priest. His parents were surprised by his choice of vocation, but they supported him nevertheless. Hue entered the great seminary at Séez. After several years of study he was ordained a priest in December 1861, and was appointed Vicar of Igé. He remained in this post for a few years until he entered the seminary of the Missions Etrangères de Paris on June 4, 1864.

In September 1865, Hue left Europe for his appointed station in the town of Yunyang in the eastern part of Sichuan (now Chongqing Municipality). Soon after arriving in Yunyang an anti-foreign rebellion broke out, resulting in the church being destroyed and several Catholic families left destitute after their homes were plundered. Hue helped rebuild the church in 1867, and a number of unbelievers came to faith in Christ.

The following year Hue was transferred to help Jean Rigaud at the mission of Youyang near where the four provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei meet. Missionary François Mabileau had been martyred there in 1865, and the locals were known to be very hostile towards Christians. Violence again spilled over on January 2, 1869, when Rigaud was cruelly murdered. Jean Hue managed to escape and fled into Henan Province.

The Catholic missionaries of this era were tough, and no intimidation or threat of persecution could sway them from their calling. Just a few months later Jean Hue returned to Youyang and recommenced his work, much to the surprise of the locals. Many people expressed an interest in the gospel and Hue soon had his hands full with all the work. He travelled north to Qianjiang, where he heard that many people wanted to be instructed in the faith. Travelling with a Chinese priest named Michael Tay, Hue arrived at Qianjiang in August 1873. A few days’ later posters were hung all around the town calling for violence against the Christians. The call was taken up and the two priests were mercilessly slaughtered on September 5, 1873. This was in an era of foreign colonialism, so the French government “sent a representative to the province and demanded reparation for Hue’s death, and an indemnity of four hundred thousand francs was promised, some officials were punished, and one or two of the populace who were said to have been among the murderers were executed.”[1]

1. Latourette, A History of Christian Missions in China, 353.